- Date
- November 27, 1992, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rialto, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6115PPiper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921127048259A
- Case key
- 27874
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 poor preflight inspection and his failure to maintain flying speed during the forced landing. Conributing to this accident was the inadvertent stall, the preceding sand/dust storm, the engine assembly low compression due to sand in the intake and exhaust valves.
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
A Piper PA-24 lost power after takeoff during the initial takeoff climb. During the ensuing emergency landing the pilot failed to maintain airspeed and landed hard. Examination of the engine revealed sand had entered the cylinders preventing the valves and rings to seat properly. The airplane had not been flown for thirty days. During the thirty day period the airplane was parked into the wind without the cowling being covered or the inlets being plugged. High winds and blowing sand were noted on two occasions during the period. The pilot failed to properly preflight the aircraft prior to departing on the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6115P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24 1215
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kinney, Elmer L.
- Registered owner
- Kinney, Elmer L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- L67 · Rialto Municipal, runway 35, 2,466 × 60 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 797 total · 16 in this make and model · 730 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBD, 9 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.