What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 5, 2001, about 2015 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 336, N3838U, experienced a loss of power in both engines and collided with a guardrail during an off-airport emergency landing on highway 14 near Palmdale, California. The airplane, owned and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that had departed the general william j. fox airfield, lancaster, California, about 2000. No flight plan had been filed. The flight originated and was scheduled to terminate at the el monte airport, el monte, California, with a planned stop at lancaster. The safety board investigator interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that his plan was to fly to eight local area airports to get current. He had flown earlier that afternoon from el monte to fox airfield with no mechanical discrepancies noted. It was dusk when he got ready to leave for el monte and he decided to fly home instead of continuing with his flight. The pilot reported that during climb out, about 4,500 feet, both engines started to lose po wer. He stated that he did not hear either engine sputter. He indicated that both engines were not producing enough power to stay in the air. The airplane kept getting lower and lower. He attempted to land the airplane on the highway, but landed short on the shoulder and collided with the guardrail. The California highway patrol (chp) sergeant, who responded to the scene, reported that the landing gear had been torn off the airframe, and the guardrail had been displaced about 15 feet. He further indicated that the airplane was down in a ravine. Responders also noted that fuel was leaking out of the airplane. When the pilot was interviewed by the los angeles county sheriff's aero bureau unit, he stated that when the loss of power was experienced, he made sure that the mixture, propeller, and throttle levers were in the full forward positions. He stated that he did everything he could; however, he did not activate the boost pumps. (-23) pilot departed fox airport, lancaster, CA (wjf @ dust (approx 2030 hrs) headed for el monte airport (EMT), el monte, CA (home base for aircraft). Did not buy fuel at wjf, 80 gals on board, only person onboard, running l ate, no flight plan. After take-off, heading towards el monte (via hwy 14/pearblossom hwy exit/angels forest hwy), @ 4500 ft. alt. Both engines: 2100 to 2200 RPM, started to loose power, could not make Palmdale airport (pmd), Palmdale, CA, for emergency landing. Pilot crash landed on right side of the south bound hwy 14, on the mountainous terrain, approx. 1.5 miles north of pearblossom hwy exit.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 5, 2001, ABOUT 2015 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 336, N3838U, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER IN BOTH ENGINES AND COLLIDED WITH A GUARDRAIL DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY 14 NEAR PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED THE GENERAL WILLIAM J. FOX AIRFIELD, LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 2000. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE EL MONTE AIRPORT, EL MONTE, CALIFORNIA, WITH A PLANNED STOP AT LANCASTER. THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS PLAN WAS TO FLY TO EIGHT LOCAL AREA AIRPORTS TO GET CURRENT. HE HAD FLOWN EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON FROM EL MONTE TO FOX AIRFIELD WITH NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES NOTED. IT WAS DUSK WHEN HE GOT READY TO LEAVE FOR EL MONTE AND HE DECIDED TO FLY HOME INSTEAD OF CONTINUING WITH HIS FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING CLIMB OUT, ABOUT 4,500 FEET, BOTH ENGINES STARTED TO LOSE PO WER. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR EITHER ENGINE SPUTTER. HE INDICATED THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH POWER TO STAY IN THE AIR. THE AIRPLANE KEPT GETTING LOWER AND LOWER. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT LANDED SHORT ON THE SHOULDER AND COLLIDED WITH THE GUARDRAIL. THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL (CHP) SERGEANT, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR HAD BEEN TORN OFF THE AIRFRAME, AND THE GUARDRAIL HAD BEEN DISPLACED ABOUT 15 FEET. HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DOWN IN A RAVINE. RESPONDERS ALSO NOTED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. WHEN THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S AERO BUREAU UNIT, HE STATED THAT WHEN THE LOSS OF POWER WAS EXPERIENCED, HE MADE SURE THAT THE MIXTURE, PROPELLER, AND THROTTLE LEVERS WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITIONS. HE STATED THAT HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT ACTIVATE THE BOOST PUMPS. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED FOX AIRPORT, LANCASTER, CA (WJF @ DUST (APPROX 2030 HRS) HEADED FOR EL MONTE AIRPORT (EMT), EL MONTE, CA (HOME BASE FOR AIRCRAFT). DID NOT BUY FUEL AT WJF, 80 GALS ON BOARD, ONLY PERSON ONBOARD, RUNNING L ATE, NO FLIGHT PLAN. AFTER TAKE-OFF, HEADING TOWARDS EL MONTE (VIA HWY 14/PEARBLOSSOM HWY EXIT/ANGELS FOREST HWY), @ 4500 FT. ALT. BOTH ENGINES: 2100 TO 2200 RPM, STARTED TO LOOSE POWER, COULD NOT MAKE PALMDALE AIRPORT (PMD), PALMDALE, CA, FOR EMERGENCY LANDING. PILOT CRASH LANDED ON RIGHT SIDE OF THE SOUTH BOUND HWY 14, ON THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, APPROX. 1.5 MILES NORTH OF PEARBLOSSOM HWY EXIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.