- Date
- April 18, 1984, 00:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N38916Piper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840418016339A
- Case key
- 23994
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 plt departed imperial, CA on 4/18/84 at about 1845 PST. Two people reported that at 2100 to 2200 PST, they saw an acft circling in the area of cummings mountain, about 10 mi south of the accident site, but because the mountain tops were obscured with clouds & rain, the acft disappeared. When the acft did not arrive at its destination, a search was begun which lasted 9 days, but the acft was not found at that time. However, the wreckage was discovered on 8/28/84 where it had crashed at an elevation of 3300 ft MSL. On the date of the accident, the area forcast for the vicinity of the crash site was for broken to overcast clouds at 2000 to 3000 ft MSL with tops at 16,000 ft. an exam of the crash site revealed that the acft had impacted in a steep right bank, slightly nose low attitude. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38916
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7716293
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald O. Prasser
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Destination
- L45 · Bakersfield, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.