- Date
- October 2, 1985, 16:34 local (23:34 UTC)
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9AZPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851002052359A
- Case key
- 24990
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 plt stated that after takeoff he climbed to 1800 ft MSL (aprx 1000 ft above ground level) and entered a left turn. The eng failed in the turn an he selected a dry flood control basin on which to land. The acft's airspeed was slow on landing and the touchdown was hard. The hard landing overstressed the airframe and resulted in substantial acft damage. L acft damage. Post accident inspection of the acft failed to disclosed any mechanical failure/malfunction. The main fuel tanks were found full of fuel. The left aux tank was empty and the right aux tank contained a small amount of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9AZ
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7540049
- Airframe hours
- 682
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K15, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank W. Armellini
- Registered owner
- Thomas C. Brewer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1985 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- LAX · Los Angeles, CA
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,846 total · 50 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 1 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.
Other investigations on N9AZ · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.