# Accident 19970211001569A: Piper PA28161, Avalon, CA, February 11, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 11, 1997, 15:20 local time
- Place: Avalon, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unknown/Not Reported
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3800° N, 118.4501° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3800&lon=-118.4501&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8436X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8436X-1998-07-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97FAMS2](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FAMS2) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970211001569A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

WHALE WATCHING, CONCERNED PARTY REPORTED OVERDUE. SEARCH IS UNDERWAY. (.4)ACCORDING TO A FRIEND, THE OWNER/PILOT WENT ON A WHALE WATCHING/SPOTTING FLIGHT, AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RETURN BY A SCHEDULED TIME, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE LANDED AT SANTA CATALINA ISLAND. RADAR DATA WAS OBTAINED FOR THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF DEPARTURE. A VFR TRANSPONDER CODE, ASSUMED TO BE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, WAS TRACKED AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE ISLAND. AT 1519:19 RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST OVER THE WATER. A SEARCH BY THE COAST GUARD WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE CRASHED IN OCEAN WATERS NEAR AVALON, CA; PILOT INJURY WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATAL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX97FAMS2](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FAMS2), Feb 11, 1997: Piper PA-28-161 (N8436X), Avalon, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: undetermined.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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