# Accident 20070929021659A: Piper J5A, Turlock, CA, September 29, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 29, 2007, 09:56 local time
- Place: Turlock, CA
- Airport: Turlock Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.4839° N, 120.6972° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4839&lon=-120.6972&mi=10
- Aircraft: N38234, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N38234-2010-04-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J5A (registry code 7100702, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j5a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J5A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total, 250 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX07CA282](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA282) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070929021659A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AND WITNESSES, THE FOLLOWING ARE THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED RESULTING IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE STOPPED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO TAKEOFF DUE TO THE FUEL SELECTOR BEING IN THE "OFF" POSITION. AFTER REPOSITIONING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO "BOTH", THE PILOT STATED HE SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND CHOCKED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE HAND PROPPING THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLL WITHOUT THE PILOT. THE PILOT TRIED TO RE-ENTER THE AIRCRAFT ONLY TO BE OVER-POWERED BY THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS HIT BY THE AIRCRAFT'S EMPENNAGE. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND REACHED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET WHEN IT BEGAN A RIGHT TURN, WHICH EVENTUALLY AGGRAVATED INTO A STALL CONDITION AND CRASHING INTO A CORN FIELD.

## 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 LAX07CA282](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA282), Sep 29, 2007: Piper J5A (N38234), Turlock, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to properly and adequately tie down the airplane during the engine start operation.

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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