- Date
- August 28, 1992, 17:15 local (Aug 29, 1992, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Atwater, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7250FPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920828034129A
- Case key
- 27748
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 partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilots failure to attain the proper touchdown point during the subsequent forced landing attempt back on the runway. Factors in the accident were the tail wind condition encountered during the landing attempt and the short nature of the runway.
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 that the flight departed runway 30 and at about 900 feet during the initial climb the engine power level smoothly reduced to about 2,000 RPM. The pilot noted that there was no roughness associated with the power loss. The pilot said she was concerned about the nature of the terrain ahead and elected to perform a 180 degree turn and land down wind on runway 12. The aircraft touched down about two thirds of the way down the runway and the pilot thought the aircraft could not be stopped prior to colliding with a fence at the runway end. She said she added all available power and the aircraft lifted off and over the fence. The aircraft then settled back to the ground and collided with two coral fences about one quarter of a mile beyond the end of the runway. The pilot said the winds at the time were from about 310 degrees at about 10 knots. The engine and airframe were examined by FAA airworthiness inspectors who did not find evidence to explain the reported loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7250F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25167
- Airframe hours
- 5,229
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Central Valley Skyways
- Registered owner
- Robert Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 24, 1992 · 63 hours before
- Airport
- 0O1 · Atwater MunicaIpal, runway 12, 2,670 × 50 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 870 total · 150 in this make and model · 795 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.