# Accident 19981017029509A: Piper PA28181, Shelter Cove, CA, October 17, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 17, 1998, 13:45 local time
- Place: Shelter Cove, CA
- Airport: Shelter Cove Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0692° N, 123.9200° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0692&lon=-123.9200&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6870F, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6870F-1999-01-25) (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: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 140 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA011) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981017029509A

## Narrative

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

10/17/98 AT 13:51 PDT: LANDED LONG, ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF WITH INSUFFICIENT POWER AND WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A CYCLONE FENCE, LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE END OF THE AIRPORT RUNWAY, WITH THE LANDING GEAR.THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK THE TOP OF A WATER TREATMENT SHED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET NORTHWEST OF THE FENCE THEN STRUCK AND DEMOLISHED A SMALL STORAGE SHED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET NORTHWEST OF THE WATER TREATMENT SHED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE ROCKY CLIFFS AND PLUNGED INTO THE SEA BELOW. AS OF 10/19/98 AT 7:24 PDT.: THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBMERGED IN APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET OF WATER, THE TIDES ARE ROUGH AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED. ONE BODY WAS OBSERVED FLOATING BUT HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           (.4)TWO AIRPLANES WERE BEING FLOWN TO THE AIRPORT. THE FIRST AIRPLANE LANDED AND THE OCCUPANTS WATCHED THE SECOND AIRPLANE APPROACH.  THE PILOT OF THE FIRST AIRPLANE COMMENTED THAT THE SECOND AIRPLANE WAS COMING DOWN TOO STEEP AND FAST TO LAND.  WITNESSES STATED THE SECOND AIRPLANE LANDED PAST THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE 3,400 FOOT RUNWAY AT A HIGH SPEED.  A PASSENGER FROM THE FIRST AIRPLANE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE TIRES AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE BRAKES BEING APPLIED.  WITNESSES HEARD FULL POWER APPLIED.  THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A CHAIN LINK FENCE ON THE AIRPORT PERIMETER DURING LIFTOFF, SHEARING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR OFF.  THE AIRPLANE THEN PROCEEDED DOWN A SLOPE, STRUCK A BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT, AND CAME TO REST ON ROCKS ON THE OPPOSITE SHORE OF A WATER INLET. AFTER HEAVY WAVE ACTION, THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY SANK IN THE TURBULENT WATER AND WAS NOT RECOVERED.

## 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 LAX99LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA011), Oct 17, 1998: Piper PA-28-181 (N6870F), Shelter Cove, CA, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's excessive airspeed, failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and the delayed decision to initiate a go-around.

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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