- Date
- December 10, 1986, 18:32 local (Dec 11, 1986, 02:32 UTC)
- Place
- Hayward, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1429HPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861210070939A
- Case key
- 25488
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
A Piper PA-28-235 collided with a dirt bank after a loss of power while on a night VFR pleasure flight. The plt indicated that aprx 3 min after takeoff while cruising at 1,400 ft MSL the engine RPM abruptly decreased to idle. The fuel selector control was found in the left tip tank position after the accident and the left tip tank was empty. The operators manual for the acft states 'for all operations the tip tanks should be used last. When using less than the standard 84 gal capacity of the tanks, it is recommended the tip tanks be filled first and then regulate the fuel load by varying the amount of fuel in the inboard tanks.' The plt indicated that there was 30-35 gals of fuel on board at the last takeoff. The capacity of the two main inboard tanks is 25 gals each. The tip tanks hold 17 gals each. The plt indicated in his statement that during his preflight inspection the left main tank was filled to the filler neck while the right main tank was below the tab.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1429H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7710001
- Airframe hours
- 1,119
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Trails
- Registered owner
- Curby, Terry L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 4, 1986 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- SNS · Salinas, CA
- Airport
- HWD · Hayward
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 293 total · 94 in this make and model · 253 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HWD, 2 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.