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19980304004949I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Fresno, CA · March 4, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 4, 1998 · 12:00 local
Place
Fresno, CA
Airport
Sierra Sky Park Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N8045P
Reported as
Piper PA24250
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
38,000 total30 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N8045PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-3291 · Built 1962Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on Wednesday, March 4, 1998, at 1200 PST, a Piper comanche, PA-24-250, N8045P, had an engine failure approximately 1/2 mile southeast of Sierra sky park, Fresno, CA while attempting to land there. The pilot landed his airplane on santa fe ave., north of figarden Dr. The aircraft was not damaged and the pilot did not sustain any injuries. The cause of the engine failure is unknown, however, the pilot said that shortly before he entered the traffic pattern at Sierra sky park he switched fuel tanks which may have momentarily starved the engine of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1998, AT 1200 PST, A PIPER COMANCHE, PA-24-250, N8045P, HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE SOUTHEAST OF SIERRA SKY PARK, FRESNO, CA WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND THERE. THE PILOT LANDED HIS AIRPLANE ON SANTA FE AVE., NORTH OF FIGARDEN DR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THE PILOT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IS UNKNOWN, HOWEVER, THE PILOT SAID THAT SHORTLY BEFORE HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT SIERRA SKY PARK HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS WHICH MAY HAVE MOMENTARILY STARVED THE ENGINE OF FUEL.