What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 27, 2019, at 1948 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-236 airplane, N8353T, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a complete loss of engine power near Modesto, California. The aircraft was enroute from truckee-tahoe airport, truckee, California with the intended destination of san martin airport (E16), san martin, California. About 20 minutes prior to landing at approximately 5500 ft, the pilot reported that he heard a sound in the engine compartment followed by a momentarily engine RPM drop. Immediately after the engine roughness the pilot switched fuel tanks, turned on the fuel pump and carburetor heat, however shortly after doing so, he experienced a total engine failure. The pilot notified northern California air traffic control (northcal) of the engine failure and was offered to vector him to Modesto city-county airport-harry sham field (kmod) but the pilot realized he would not make the airport and elected to land on highway 99. To avoid a collision with vehicles, he tried to land to the right of the highway but during the landing sequence, the right wing contacted the light pole and separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest inverted and the post-crash fire ensued shortly after. There were no reported injuries to the sole occupant of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2019, AT 1948 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-236 AIRPLANE, N8353T, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR MODESTO, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM TRUCKEE-TAHOE AIRPORT, TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA WITH THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF SAN MARTIN AIRPORT (E16), SAN MARTIN, CALIFORNIA. ABOUT 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 5500 FT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A SOUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A MOMENTARILY ENGINE RPM DROP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP AND CARBURETOR HEAT, HOWEVER SHORTLY AFTER DOING SO, HE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT NOTIFIED NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (NORTHCAL) OF THE ENGINE FAILURE AND WAS OFFERED TO VECTOR HIM TO MODESTO CITY-COUNTY AIRPORT-HARRY SHAM FIELD (KMOD) BUT THE PILOT REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO LAND ON HIGHWAY 99. TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH VEHICLES, HE TRIED TO LAND TO THE RIGHT OF THE HIGHWAY BUT DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE LIGHT POLE AND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED AND THE POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED SHORTLY AFTER. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.