- Date
- September 26, 1989, 14:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Warner Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4450YPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890926036219A
- Case key
- 26514
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power for an unknown reason. The obstruction (tree) was a factor.
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 estimated the acft had about 10 gal of fuel on board when he departed on a glider tow flight. After the glider was released, he returned to the arpt for a landing. When he was on final apch to land, the eng lost power. The plt tried to glide the acft to the rwy; however, before reaching the rwy, the acft hit a tree & crashed. No reason was found for the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4450Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-4093
- Airframe hours
- 5,641
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brett & Karen Willat
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- CL35
- Airport
- CL35 · Warner Springs, runway 26, 3,500 × 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 896 total · 3 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.