- Date
- July 30, 1992, 14:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Ravendale, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8078HPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920730028249A
- Case key
- 27709
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. The short length of the runway was a factor in the accident.
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 said the aircraft had achieved an altitude of about 100 feet AGL in the takeoff initial climb when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot touched down on the runway but was unable to stop prior to over running the end of the runway and colliding with a fence. The aircraft and engine were examined by FAA airworthiness inspectors who reported finding no engine or system abnormality to explain the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8078H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8016048
- Airframe hours
- 4,127
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Palomar Flight
- Registered owner
- Gerrit J. Vreeken
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 1992 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- 039
- Destination
- SVE · Susanville, CA
- Airport
- O39 · Ravendale, runway 17, 2,970 × 30 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
- 43
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,694 total · 9 in this make and model · 7,640 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.