# Accident 20000617008099A: Piper PA25260, Coleville, CA, June 17, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 17, 2000, 14:30 local time
- Place: Coleville, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4707° N, 119.4802° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4707&lon=-119.4802&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8578L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8578L-2018-08-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-25-260 (registry code 7102508, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-25-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-540-G1A5 (registry code 42344, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-g1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA25260
- Reported engine: LYC O540G1A5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 23,000 total, 8,000 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA233) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000617008099A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JUNE 17, 2000 AT 1500 HOURS PDT PIPER N8578L COLLIDED WITH A FENCE ON TAKEOFF FROM A DIRT FIELD NEAR COLEVILLE, CA. THE A/C BEING OPERATED AS A TOW PLANE SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE GLIDER BEING RECOVERED FROM THE FIELD WAS ABLE TO RELEASE AND LAND IN THE NEXT FIELD SUFFERING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ALSO. BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE TAKEOFF THE PILOT PACED OFF THE DISTANCE OF THE FIELD AT 1600 FEET, WHICH HE ESTIMATED WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR TAKE OFF. DURING CLIMB OUT THE TOW PLANE COLLIDED WITH THE FENCE. (.4) ON JUNE 17, 2000, ABOUT 1430 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-25-260, N8578L, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE DURING A SAILPLANE TOW TAKEOFF FROM A DIRT FIELD NEAR COLEVILLE, CALIFORNIA.  THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY SOAR MINDEN UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MINDEN-TAHOE AIRPORT, MINDEN, NEVADA, ABOUT 1400, AND LANDED IN THE FIELD, ABOUT 5,300 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), TO RECOVER A SAILPLANE AFTER IT HAD MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE FIELD.  THE PILOT REPO              RTED THAT THE SAILPLANE HAD LOST LIFT AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, AND CONTACTED HIS COMPANY FOR ASSISTANCE IN TOWING THE GLIDER OUT OF THE FIELD. AFTER LANDING THE TOW PLANE IN THE OPEN FIELD, BOTH PILOTS PACED OFF ABOUT 15/1,600 FEET, WHICH HE ESTIMATED WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR TAKEOFF AT 5,300 FEET MSL.  THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 7,903 FEET MSL. DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB THE TOW PLANE COLLIDED WITH A FENCE.  THE SAILPLANE RELEASED, OVERFLEW THE TOW PLANE BY 2 TO 4 FEET, AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER FENCE ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE TOW PLANE.

## 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 LAX00LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA233), Jun 17, 2000: Piper PA-25-260 (N8578L), Coleville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the tow plane pilot's inadequate airplane performance calculations.

## Other reports on N8578L (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20170611005339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170611005339A), Jun 11, 2017: Piper PA-25-260 (N8578L), Hood River, OR, Substantial damage. While returning to airport after releasing glider at 3000' PIC noted aircraft was at 2 hours of operaton on engine tach meter. At start or day PIC estimated he…

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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