# Incident 20170909019239I: Piper PA-28-140, Los Alamitos, CA, September 9, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 2017, 23:37 local time
- Place: Los Alamitos, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7969° N, 118.0612° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Los Alamitos, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7969&lon=-118.0612&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7205J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7205J-2021-10-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,100 total, 300 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170909019239I

## Narrative

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

INCIDENT NOTIFICATION RECEIVED VIA AWP DAILY REPORT INDICATING AN AIRCRAFT DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT DUE TO A SUSPECTED AILERON MALFUNCTION.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED IT WAS AN UNEXPECTED WAKE TURBUENCE ENCOUNTER.

CONTACTED LOS ALAMITOS ARMY AIR FIELD, DETERMINED CORRECT REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS N7205J. DETERMINED AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY DUBOIS AVIATION AT CNO.  CONTACTED DUBOIS AVIATION AND OBTAINED PILOT INFORMATION.  PILOT WAS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.  PILOT STATED THE COMPANY WAS PERFORMING A FLY-IN WITH SEVERAL COMPANY AIRCRAFT FROM CNO TO AVX.

9/11/17 INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR PERFORMED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW OF PILOT AND DETERMINED HE WAS OPERATING HIS AIRCRAFT BELOW AND BEHIND A TWIN ENGINE COMPANY AIRCRAFT (AT LEAST 1000 FT SEPARATION) AND WAS MOMENTARILY IN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT'S WAKE TURBULENCE FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS WHILE AT 4500 FEET ENROUTE TO CATALINA.  HE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BEFORE CONTINUING TO CATALINA ISLAND.  THE SCHOOL'S MECHANIC WAS ALSO ON BOARD N7205J; AFTER PRECAUTIONARY LANDING THE PILOT AND MECHANIC INSPECTED AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND CONTINUED FLIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE TO AVX AND THEN HOME TO CNO. PILOT WAS ADEQUATELY SPACED AND WAKE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTER WAS NOT ANTICIPATED BASED ON SPACING, HOWEVER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO PILOT ENCOUNTERING THE WAKE TURBULENCE WHEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE NORMALLY BEEN ENCOUNTERED.

## Other reports on N7205J (1)

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

- [Accident 20180909006999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180909006999A), Sep 9, 2018: Piper PA-28-140 (N7205J), Chino, CA, Substantial damage. Narrative: a student pilot was on his second solo flight performing touch and go take off?s and landings on runway 26L at Chino Airport (kcno). After touch…

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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