- Date
- October 11, 1990, 14:07 local (21:07 UTC)
- Place
- El Cajon, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6147JPiper PA28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901011045129A
- Case key
- 26953
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
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed. Contributing to the accident was an engine power loss for undetermined reasons.
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 was conducting touch and go landings in a closed traffic pattern. After takeoff, witnesses observed the aircraft's nose pitch up during a turn to the left then pitch down and descend into the ground. Other witnesses heard the engine sputter prior to the nose pitch up. Most witnesses described the aircraft stalling during the turn. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no physical evidence of a malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6147J
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625223
- Airframe hours
- 5,562
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- National Air College, doing business as National Air College
- Registered owner
- National Air College
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 1990 · 18 hours before
- Airport
- SEE · Gillespie Field, runway 27L, 2,737 × 60 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
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.