- Date
- July 16, 1983, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5492WPiper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830716032979A
- Case key
- 23792
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 acft contacted a powerline 100 ft above the water at new mellones reservoir. The acft was landed at Columbia. CA without further incident. An inspection of the acft revealed that the top portion of the vertical stabilizer was missingand the rudder was torn backwards. The pilot stated he was 600 ft above the water. However, the electric company verified that the lines were 100 ft above the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5492W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 577
- Airframe hours
- 3,303
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cox, David G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 17, 1983 · 99 hours before
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 114 total · 69 in this make and model · 63 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.