- Date
- August 29, 1984, 12:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7916WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840829075719A
- Case key
- 23995
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 student plt landed long on an intended touch and go landing and therefore, rolled out to a full stop on rwy 31. A 180 deg turn was made at the end in order to takeoff on rwy 13. Prior to initiating the takeoff, according to the student plt, he placed the fuel selector in the right tank position since it was the fullest of the 2 tanks. Very shortly after takeoff the eng lost power. The CFI instructed the student in the left seat to switch tanks, which he did. With the CFI taking control of the acft a forced landing was made in a field rolling through a barbed wire fence and collapsing the nose gear. Neither plt changed the position of the fuel selector after the accident. It was found in the left 'off' position. The fuel selector had 4 positions, left & right at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions and 2 'off' at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Either off setting can be selected from any other position. The right tank was full of fuel and the left contained 1 gal. No fuel remained in the eng driven fuel pump output line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7916W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1952
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael Patrick Withers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- VGT · N. Las Vegas, NV
- Airport
- L-45 · Bakersfield
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
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7916W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.