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20260430003859I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-260 · Concord, CA · April 30, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 30, 2026 · 09:00 local
Place
Concord, CA
Airport
Buchanan Field
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9911L
Reported as
Piper PA-24-260
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,644 total
N9911LRegistered now · Piper PA-24-260S/N 24-4524 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-24-260Engine 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.

I was given clearance by tower for a LE2 downwind departure from runway 19R to the northeast. I was on climb-out and had an impact to the front of the aircraft, following which, something passed over the cowling and then impacted the top of the cabin with very little force. I did not see anything prior to impact and could not discern what passed in front of me for the secondary impact. I assumed it was a bird. I was in a fairly steep angle-of-attack, saw nothing prior to impact. After impact, I had not yet raised my gear and kept it down while I ran through some RPM and

Manifold pressure cycles. I discerned no vibra tions or unusual noise so con tinued my flight. Upon landing, when I realized the spinner was missing I called Concord tower to report the event. They then recovered the pieces of the spinner. All screws from the spinner to bulkhead are s ll in-place. Note that I had given special attenti on to the spinner in pre-flight as I had one loose screw and ghtened it before startup.

As the FAA filed it

I WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE BY TOWER FOR A LE2 DOWNWIND DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 19R TO THE NORTHEAST. I WAS ON CLIMB-OUT AND HAD AN IMPACT TO THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWING WHICH, SOMETHING PASSED OVER THE COWLING AND THEN IMPACTED THE TOP OF THE CABIN WITH VERY LITTLE FORCE. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING PRIOR TO IMPACT AND COULD NOT DISCERN WHAT PASSED IN FRONT OF ME FOR THE SECONDARY IMPACT. I ASSUMED IT WAS A BIRD. I WAS IN A FAIRLY STEEP ANGLE-OF-ATTACK, SAW NOTHING PRIOR TO IMPACT. AFTER IMPACT, I HAD NOT YET RAISED MY GEAR AND KEPT IT DOWN WHILE I RAN THROUGH SOME RPM AND

MANIFOLD PRESSURE CYCLES. I DISCERNED NO VIBRA TIONS OR UNUSUAL NOISE SO CON TINUED MY FLIGHT. UPON LANDING, WHEN I REALIZED THE SPINNER WAS MISSING I CALLED CONCORD TOWER TO REPORT THE EVENT. THEY THEN RECOVERED THE PIECES OF THE SPINNER. ALL SCREWS FROM THE SPINNER TO BULKHEAD ARE S LL IN-PLACE. NOTE THAT I HAD GIVEN SPECIAL ATTENTI ON TO THE SPINNER IN PRE-FLIGHT AS I HAD ONE LOOSE SCREW AND GHTENED IT BEFORE STARTUP.