- Date
- September 10, 1983, 20:20 local (Sep 11, 1983, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N56513Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830910049629A
- Case key
- 23504
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
According to the plt, after a runup, during which the mixture was 'leaned', the acft departed rwy 25 at Big Bear airport. He stated that the nose of the acft was lowered to 'gain 80 KTS IAS,' and that the acft 'climbed to approximately 150 to 200 ft above the lake and would climb no higher.' The acft then 'began a gradual descent,' and struck the water at '60 KTS in what seemed like a level attitude.' Investigation revealed the acft was at least 294 lbs over gross wt. The density altitude was also computed to be 8352 ft when using 60 deg f as a valve. The recorded temp 15 NM away was 86 deg f. no pre-impact discrepancies were found during the examination of acft wreckage or the subsequent eng test.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56513
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325646
- Airframe hours
- 4,665
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bartlett Aviation
- Registered owner
- Jess C. Bartlett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 2, 1983 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- L35 · Big Bear, CA
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City, runway 25, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 101 in this make and model · 126 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBD, 15 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.