- Date
- April 19, 1987, 08:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N15259Piper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870419081529A
- Case key
- 25569
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 aircraft collided with a ditch after a loss of pwr during t/o climb at aprx 350 to 400 ft AGL. The plt described the loss of pwr as 'like taking the throttle and pulling off in a rapid motion.' He noticed during his preflt check that the fuel in the right main tank (rmt) was lighter blue in color than that of the left main tank (lmt). He took 2 samples from the rmt during the preflt and during the eng run-up, ran the eng 5 add min until all the gauges were 'in the green.' The acft took off with the fuel selector in the rmt position. The plt attempted a restart while executing a 180 degree turn to return to the airport. He indicated that he switched the fuel selector from the rmt to the lmt and checked that the fuel boost pump was still on. The rmt was ruptured as result of the impact and all the fuel escaped into the ditch. The eng was examined and there were no indications of mechanical failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15259
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 327340026
- Airframe hours
- 1,228
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vukich, Ronald R.
- Registered owner
- Smith, Huey P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 19, 1986 · 11 hours before
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Airport
- 051 · Lincoln Muni., runway 33, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,728 total · 8 in this make and model · 8,520 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCC
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 N15259 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.