# Accident 20230115000499A: Piper PA-28-180, San Diego, CA, January 15, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 15, 2023, 10:25 local time
- Place: San Diego, CA
- Airport: Montgomery Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.8136° N, 117.1417° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8136&lon=-117.1417&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9687J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9687J-2023-09-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,132 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR23LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA091) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230115000499A

## Narrative

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

ON FRIDAY 1/13/2023 FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR / PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PREPARED FOR A FLIGHT IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH A STUDENT AT KMYF (MONTGOMERY FIELD).  AT THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY APPEARED TO BE DEAD. THE PIC HAD REMOVED THE ENGINE BAY COWLING TO LOOK FOR A PLUG TO JUMP START THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PLUG WAS NOT IN THE ENGINE BAY.  THE PIC HAD REINSTALLED THE ENGINE BAY COLWING AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE STARTED, AND THERFORE THE FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED.  THE BATTERY WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OWNER AND THE OWNER HAD THE BATTERY CHANGED, HOWEVER THE BATTERY WAS NOT LOCATED IN THE ENGINE BAY AND THERFORE THE ENGINE COWLING WAS NOT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC.  ON 1/15/2023 FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR / PILOT IN COMMAND AND A STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED RUNWAY 28L AT KMYF (MONTGOMERY FIELD) IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AT THE CONTROLS.  AT APROXIMATELY 100-300FT AGL AFTER TAKE OFF THE ENGINE COWLING BECAME LOOSE ON THE LEFT SIDE AND POPPED UP.  A POSITIVE EXCHANGE OF CONTROLS WAS MADE BETWEEN THE STUDENT PILOT AND THE PIC.  THE PIC THEN REDUCED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND BACK ON THE FIELD. THE PIC THEN REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE SO A GO AROUND WAS IMMEDIATLEY ATTEMPTED WITH FULL POWER REAPPLIED TO THE AIRCRAFT.  A 20-30 DEGREE TURN WAS ATTEMPTED BY THE PIC TO TRY AND MAKE RUNWAY 23, WHICH LEAD THE AIRCRAFT TO THE DIRT FIELD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP.  ALL 4 OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT UNHARMED.

## 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 WPR23LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA091), Jan 15, 2023: Piper PA-28-180 (N9687J), San Diego, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering to another runway after the engine cowling opened shortly after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the failure of both…

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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