- Date
- May 16, 1988, 11:22 local (18:22 UTC)
- Place
- Reedley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N23415Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880516047879A
- Case key
- 26002
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 climbed to about 800 feet AGL after takeoff when the engine began to run rough. The pilot said that the engine then 'quit and restart(ed)' several times. He said that insufficient power was available to remain airborne and he attempted a landing in a tree covered field near the airport. Subsequent examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors revealed that each fuel tank had about 6 gallons of fuel. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified during the examination of the aircraft. The temperature at fresno, CA, which is located about 15 miles west northwest of Reedley, CA, at the time of the accident was 67 degrees and the dew point was 48 degrees. According to icing probability charts, conditions were conducive to carburetor icing at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23415
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-81A0099
- Airframe hours
- 1,617
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenner, James A.
- Registered owner
- Kenner, James A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 10, 1988 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- O32
- Destination
- Q60 · Fresno, CA
- Airport
- 032 · Reedley Muni., runway 33, 3,300 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,253 total · 600 in this make and model · 3,693 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.