- Date
- August 28, 1988, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lower Lake, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9429WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 21, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880828035619A
- Case key
- 26091
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 pilot departed NOVAT0, CA with the fuel selector in the right tip tank position. She did not switch the selector to the main tank position. Four miles from Lower Lake, CA the engine lost all power. After the accident, only the right tip tank was found empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9429W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-11135
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James J. Finnegan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 1987 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 056 · Novato, CA
- Destination
- 209 · Lower Lake, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 142 total · 142 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UKI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.