20090823016949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-260 · Santa Barbara, CA · August 23, 2009

Date: August 23, 2009 · 10:36 local
Place: Santa Barbara, CA
Airport: Santa Barbara Municipal
Phase of flight: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8775P
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09LA412
Reported as: Piper PA24260
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 294 total36 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

N8775PRegistration cancelled Oct 15, 2009 · Piper PA-24-260S/N 24-4226 · Built 1965 Airframe modelPiper PA-24-260 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) On 08/23/09 Piper comanche (PA24-260) N8775P, s/n 24-4226 while enroute from french valley airport (F70) to Santa Barbara airport (sba) lost power and landed on the southbound highway 101 (approx 1 mile northeast of sba) against the flow of traffic striking three vehicles and substantially damaging the aircraft. The pilot stated that a post-impact examination of the fuel cells revealed no evidence of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 08/23/09 PIPER COMANCHE (PA24-260) N8775P, S/N 24-4226 WHILE ENROUTE FROM FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70) TO SANTA BARBARA AIRPORT (SBA) LOST POWER AND LANDED ON THE SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 101 (APPROX 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF SBA) AGAINST THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC STRIKING THREE VEHICLES AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT A POST-IMPACT EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL CELLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL.

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 WPR09LA412Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSanta Barbara, CAA loss of power during approach due to fuel exhaustion for undetermined reasonsAug 23, 2009 · Substantial damage