# Accident 19980920025509A: Piper PA28140, Dayton, NV, September 20, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 20, 1998, 07:45 local time - Place: Dayton, NV - Airport: Dayton Valley Airpark Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.2605° N, 119.4809° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2605&lon=-119.4809&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5817U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5817U-2018-01-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140 - Reported engine: LYC O320* - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 235 total, 49 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA300) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980920025509A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1998, AT 0745 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N5817U, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKEOFF AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR THE DAYTON VALLEY AIRPARK, DAYTON, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. (.4) THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING THE AIRPLANE THE PREVIOUS WEEK WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. HE HAD FLOWN INTO THE AIRPORT THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND HAD TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE WITH AUTO FUEL BECAUSE THE AIRPORT DID NOT PROVIDE AVIATION FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN APPROVED TO USE AUTO FUEL BY AN STC. THE NEXT MORNING HE CONDUCTED A RUN-UP WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. HE STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL, BUT AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE ENGINE DID NOT SPUTTER OR COUGH, BUT THE RPM'S DROPPED AND THE ENGINE BECAME QUIET. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT AND MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE AT FULL POWER, BUT AIRSPEED WAS LOW AND THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CLIMBING. FOLLOWING RECOVERY OF THE AIRPLANE, GRADE 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE WAS PUT INTO A TANK AND PLUMBED INTO THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM. DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE, IT RAN ROUGH. A SECOND ENGINE RUN WAS CONDUCTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE FUEL THAT WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRPLANE DURING RECOVERY WAS BRIGHT YELLOW MIXED WITH BLUE. ACCORDING TO THE CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS ICING OR CLIMB POWER. (-23) ON 09/20/98, AT 0745 HOURS PDT, N5817U, PIPER PA-28-140, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AFTER TAKE-OFF AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR DAYTON VALLEY AIRPARK, DAYTON, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES. THE PILOT AND THE ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VMC WITH CALM WINDS AND 65 DEGREES F. TEMPERATURE EXISTED FOR THIS PERSONAL FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. ELT ACTIVATED. THERE WERE NO FIRES. ## 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 LAX98LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA300), Sep 20, 1998: Piper PA-28-140 (N5817U), Dayton, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: Loss of engine power for unknown reasons. Factors were conditions conducive to carburetor icing and the use of automotive fuel. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.