- Date
- September 19, 1992, 19:15 local (Sep 20, 1992, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N711YMPiper 601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920919042109A
- Case key
- 27773
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 selection of an inadequate altitude for an intentional low pass. Contributing to the accident was the dusk light conditions, and the pilots improper inflight planning and decision.
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 and his passengers departed Bakersfield, California, for an evening flight to santa barbara for dinner. The pilot stated that on the way he decided to fly over three of his citrus ranches and check them from the air. He stated that he was traveling at '250 plus mph' at too low an altitude and clipped a 12,000 volt pg&e power line. The pilot stated that he immediately pulled up to 1,500 feet and checked all systems. He then flew 30 miles back to Bakersfield and made an uneventful landing. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N711YM
- Reported as
- Piper 601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0215-023
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mitchell D. Slayman
- Registered owner
- Mitchell D. Slayman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1992
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,462 total · 432 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 39 °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.
Other investigations on N711YM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.