- Date
- October 9, 1990, 17:25 local (Oct 10, 1990, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Redlands, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8876WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 6, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901009044429A
- Case key
- 26959
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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a fuel system leak of an undetermined origin.
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
As the airplane entered the traffic pattern the rear seat pax observed smoke in the cockpit. Then all engine power was suddenly lost, and the pilot declared an emergency. The visibility inside the airplane became nearly zero, and the airplane crash-landed short of the runway. Within seconds it became engulfed in fire. Numerous tools, a magneto harness kit, brake anvil, and two small sections of hoses were found in the wreckage, as well as an engine maintenance/repair text book. One of the hoses was later identified as a fuel line hose.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8876W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10433
- Airframe hours
- 3,435
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William A. Fike
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1990
- Departed
- HHR · Hawthorne, CA
- Airport
- L12 · Redlands Muni, runway 26, 4,500 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,700 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBD, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.