20040106004029A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-180 · California City, CA · January 6, 2004

Date: January 6, 2004 · 21:00 local
Place: California City, CA
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3820T
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA090
Reported as: Piper PA28R180
Fatal injuries: 0

N3820TRegistered now · Piper PA-28R-180S/N 28R-30137 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-180 Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Piper N3820T was taxiing for takeoff at the California City airport at 2100 PST when the pilot departed the taxiway into the dirt and continued to taxi an additional 100 yards until the r/h MLG collapsed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PIPER N3820T WAS TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF AT THE CALIFORNIA CITY AIRPORT AT 2100 PST WHEN THE PILOT DEPARTED THE TAXIWAY INTO THE DIRT AND CONTINUED TO TAXI AN ADDITIONAL 100 YARDS UNTIL THE R/H MLG COLLAPSED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04LA090Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCalifornia City, CAthe pilot's decision to continue taxiing during dark night conditions without an operable taxi/landing light or taxiway lights and his failure to maintain taxiway alignment. Contributing factors to the accident were the dark night light conditions, the failed…Jan 7, 2004 · Substantial damage