# Accident 19980607012559A: Piper PA28181, El Cajon, CA, June 7, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 7, 1998, 11:17 local time
- Place: El Cajon, CA
- Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.7907° N, 116.9599° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7907&lon=-116.9599&mi=10
- Aircraft: N84451, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N84451-1998-10-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4M
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 40 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA186) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980607012559A

## Narrative

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

ACFT TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED TO APPROX 150 FEET AGL AT WHICH POINT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, ACFT TO LAND IN A GRASSY AREA. (-23) ON JUNE 7, 1998, AT 1117 HOURS PDT, A PIPER PA-28-181, N84451, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING AT GILLESPIE FIELD, EL CAJON, CAL. NEITHER THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT OR THE DUEL STUDENT PILOTS WERE INJURED.  THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT DURING A DEPARTURE CLIMBOUT FROM RUNWAY 27L ABOUT 100 FEET AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER.  LOWERING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER, HOWEVER, ONCE THE NOSE WAS RAISED POWER FAILED.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN FUEL STRAINER BOWL QUICK DRAIN MAY HAVE BEEN OPEN, OR PARTIALLY OPEN, RESULTING IN A LEAN FUEL MIXTURE ANY TIME THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAISED.  THE PIC HAS BEEN COUNSELED REGARDING PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES.  (.4) THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS DEPARTING WITH TWO BEGINNING STUDENT PILOTS FOR A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT.  THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, ABOUT 50 TO 100 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE QUIT AND HE FORCE LANDED BEYOND THE RUNWAY END. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR ON SCENE, DURING THE PREFLIGHT THE FUEL GASCOLATOR DRAIN MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT OPEN DURING THE PREFLIGHT.  THE  FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS COUNSELED BY THE FAA ON PREFLIGHT PROCEDURES.

## 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 LAX98LA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA186), Jun 7, 1998: Piper PA-28-181 (N84451), El Cajon, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The certified flight instructor's inadequate preflight which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was the unsuitable terrain.

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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