# Incident 20011018030489I: Piper PA28161, Losthills, CA, October 18, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 18, 2001, 13:30 local time
- Place: Losthills, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.6327° N, 119.6779° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lost Hills, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6327&lon=-119.6779&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8256E, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8256E) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 146 total, 115 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011018030489I

## Narrative

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

(-23) STUDENT PILOT ON SOLO X-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM PALO ALTO AIRPORT (PAO) TO ATWATER, CA (MER) AND RETURN TO PAO FAILED TO RESET THE DIRECTIONAL HEADING INDICATOR PRIOR TO DEPARTING MER AND ENDED UP 110 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COURSE NEAR LOST HILLS CA. PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT LOW FUEL TANK INDICATIONS AND LANDED ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY, CORCORAN ROAD, 7 MILES NORTH OF STATE ROUTE 46. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE UNDER THE RIGHT WING INDICATES THAT IT HIT AN OBJECT SIMILAR TO A MILEAGE MARKER SIGN WHILE TAXIING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. STUDENT PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DAMAGE AS WAS THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. DAMAGE LIMITED TO THE WING SKIN AND A CREASE IN THE AILERON.

## Other reports on N8256E (3)

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

- [Incident 20241022017499I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241022017499I), Oct 22, 2024: Piper PA-28-161 (N8256E), Hayward, CA, Minor damage. Aircraft [privacy data omitted]departed pao 10/22/2024. Upon departure, aircraft lost right rear main landing gear. Pilot elected to land at hwd due to longer…
- [Incident 20010721020479I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010721020479I), Jul 21, 2001: Piper PA28161 (N8256E), San Jose, CA. (-23) On July 21, 2001 at approximately 1940 PDT aircraft N8256E made an emergency landing at San Jose, CA intl airport (sjc) runway 29 due to fuel depletion.…
- [Incident 19860128060649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860128060649I), Jan 28, 1986: Piper PA28161 (N8256E), Hollister, CA, Minor damage. After landing,solo student made a turnoff at intersection with too much speed and lost directional control.

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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