- Date
- January 6, 2004, 21:00 local (Jan 7, 2004, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- California City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3820TPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- WP-VNY-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040106004029A
- Case key
- 58616
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's decision to continue taxiing during dark night conditions without an operable taxi/landing light or taxiway lights and his failure to maintain taxiway alignment. Contributing factors to the accident were the dark night light conditions, the failed landing light, and the lack of taxiway lights.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The single-engine airplane encountered a ditch while taxiing for takeoff resulting in the collapse of the right main landing gear. The pilot stated that it was a dark night and he was relying on the landing light to help guide him down a taxiway parallel to the runway, as the airport was not equipped with taxiway edge lighting. While taxiing, the landing light suddenly turned off and he was unable to see his outside surroundings. The pilot inadvertently taxied off the left side of the taxiway, where the airplane encountered the ditch located in the dirt median. With the exception of the landing light, no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were reported.
Factual narrative
On January 6, 2004, about 2100 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28R-180 single engine airplane, N3820T, encountered a ditch while taxiing for takeoff at California City Airport (L17), California City, California. The airplane, owned by Inland Flight Training Center, and rented by the pilot, was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight was intended to depart L17, with a planned destination of McClellan-Palomar Airport (QRC), Carlsbad, California. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.
During a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot reported he was attempting to taxi to runway 24. He stated that it was a dark night and he was relying on the landing light to help guide him down a taxiway parallel to the runway; the airport was not equipped with taxiway edge lighting. While taxiing, the landing light suddenly turned off and he was unable to see his outside surroundings. The pilot inadvertently taxied off the left side of the taxiway, where the airplane encountered a ditch located in the dirt median. The right main gear collapsed and the right wing was damaged.
The pilot stated that the airplane did not have any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the exception of the landing light.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3820T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30137
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 Series, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Inland Flight Training
- Registered owner
- Steven N. Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- L71 · California City, CA
- Destination
- QRC · Palomar, CA
- Airport
- L71 · California City Municipal Airp
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 23, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 231 total · 45 in this make and model · 188 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 63 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- EDW, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.