# Accident 20190927023849A: Piper PA-28-236, Modesto, CA, September 27, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 27, 2019, 19:48 local time
- Place: Modesto, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.6258° N, 120.9544° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6258&lon=-120.9544&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8353T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8353T-2020-07-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-236 (registry code 7102815, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-236) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-236
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR19LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA267) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190927023849A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 WPR19LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA267), Sep 28, 2019: Piper PA28 (N8353T), Modesto, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.