- Date
- April 21, 1992, 02:25 local (09:25 UTC)
- Place
- Oxnard, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6907DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920421010679A
- Case key
- 27604
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 control of the airplane during takeoff as a result of his alcoholic impairment of efficiency and judgement. A factor in the accident was the dark night.
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
One airport security guard observed the airplane during takeoff bounce three times, then veer right. He observed sparks emitting from the airplane during the last bounce. Another security guard, who was working the airport's east gate at about 0300 hrs, stated that she stopped two men that were running across the airport. She identified them as the pilot/owner and the passenger. She detected an odor of alcohol on both men. The pilot told the guard that he and his friend had been drinking on the nearby beach and were returning to their motor home parked in the vicinity of the airport. The guard observed a radio transceiver in a bag they were carrying. The airplane's wreckage was found beside the runway. The nose wheel assembly was buckled rearward which would allow the propeller and nose of the airplane to strike the runway. The tips of the propeller blades were ground off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6907D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4834
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Weilbacher, Christopher J.
- Registered owner
- Weilbacher, Christopher J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- OXR
- Airport
- OXR · Oxnard, runway 25, 5,970 × 100 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 250 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 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.
Other investigations on N6907D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.