# Accident 20010214003459A: Piper PA24250, Petaluma, CA, February 14, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 14, 2001, 12:30 local time - Place: Petaluma, CA - Airport: Petaluma Municipal Airport - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.2578° N, 122.6053° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2578&lon=-122.6053&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8286P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8286P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA097) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010214003459A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-19) ON FEBRUARY 14, 2001, AT 1230 HOURS PST, A PIPER PA-24-250, N8286P, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT THE PETALUMA MUNI AIRPORT, PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUALMETEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PETALUMA AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE THERE. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SET UP FOR A LANDING ON DOWNWIND, WHICH INCLUDED REDUCTING POWER AND LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. HE NOTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR STOPPED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN. HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND LANDED ABOUT 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING AND HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED ON-SCENE BY A FAA INSPECTOR. HE VISUALLY INSPECTED THE FUEL TANKS. EACH OUTBOARD FUEL TANK HAD HALF A TANK, AND THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. (-23) AT APPROX. 1230 ON 02/14/01, MR. CONROY WAS ON APPROACH TO THE PETALUMA AIRPORT (OA). AS HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR HE NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLEXED FORWARD AND THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. MR. CONROY STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. MR. CONROY THEN SET THE A/C UP FOR BEST GLIDE AND CONTINUED FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. AT APPROX. 300 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY 29 HE STRUCK A TREE WHICH IS ABOUT 20 FEET AGL. THE A/C CONTINUED FLIGHT OVER A STREET AND A FENCE, THEN CAME TO REST ABOUT 150 YARDS FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 29. THE A/C RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, PROP, FIREWALL, VERTICAL STAB, AND FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE MIXTURE CABLE GOT ENTANGLED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AS IT TRIED TO EXTEND. AS THE GEAR LOWERED IT PULLED THE MIXTURE CABLE OUT OF ITS HOLDER. THIS CAUSED THE MIXTURE CONTROL ON THE ENGINE TO GO TO THE DULL LEAN POSITION, SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. ## 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 LAX01LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA097), Feb 14, 2001: Piper PA-24-250 (N8286P), Petaluma, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of non-airframe and powerplant mechanic/certificated owners to properly install a new mixture cable that became entangled in the nose landing gear during its extension for landing, resulting… ## Other reports on N8286P (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19930404021349I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930404021349I), Apr 4, 1993: Piper PA24250 (N8286P), Santa Rosa, CA, Minor damage. Electrical failure in flight. Gear collapsed on landing. Electrical failure caused by faulty alternator. - [Incident 19881120068789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881120068789I), Nov 20, 1988: Piper PA24250 (N8286P), Phoenix, AZ, Minor damage. Door opened on liftoff. Granted permission to land on remaining runway. Landed with gear up. 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.