- Date
- January 6, 1983, 18:40 local (Jan 7, 1983, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N38916Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830106000799A
- Case key
- 23595
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
The non-instrument rated pilot received a weather briefing before take-off and was advised that VFR flight was not recommended. During arrival at night, he circled twice over the airport and noticed that the runway lights were clear, then entered the pattern to land. The pilot stated that just before touchdown, he experienced a momentary, unexpected white-out. Reportedly, a thin arm of ground fog was encountered. The pilot stated that during that brief moment, the aircraft drifted to the right over the runway lights. Two runway lights were sheared off. The right main gear collapsed when the wheel hit a concrete slab at the base of a runway light.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38916
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287716293
- Airframe hours
- 1,702
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald O. Prasser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 7, 1982 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Destination
- L45 · Bakersfield, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- L45 · Bakersfield, runway 31, 3,200 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 434 total · 434 in this make and model · 425 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 7 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.