- Date
- October 28, 1995, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mecca, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5870WPiper PA-28-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951028034899A
- Case key
- 29323
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot/applicant's failure to maintain a glide path angle sufficient to maintain adequate clearance from all obstructions, and the examiner's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Analysis
The flight was a private pilot practical flight test with a designated examiner. The examiner said he gave the applicant a simulated engine failure and the pilot set up for an approach to a field. As the aircraft neared the ground, the examiner noted the aircraft was low and told the pilot to add some power. The pilot did not immediately respond and the aircraft collided with trees and power lines, then the ground on a railroad right of way.
Factual narrative
On October 28, 1995, at 1445 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-150, N5870W, collided with trees, power lines, and fence posts near Mecca, California, during a practice power-off forced landing. The aircraft was rented by the pilot for a private pilot practical flight test with a designated examiner. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The student pilot and the pilot examiner sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from the Thermal, California, airport on the day of the accident at 1400 as a local area instructional flight.
In oral and written statements, the examiner said he gave the applicant a practice engine failure and the student set up for an approach to a field. As the aircraft neared the ground, the examiner noted the aircraft was low and told the pilot to add some power. The student did not immediately respond and the aircraft collided with trees and power lines, then the ground on a railroad right of way.
The aircraft and engine were examined by Safety Board investigators after recovery from the site. No mechanical discrepancies were found in any system or component. Copies of examination reports are attached for detailed information.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5870W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2745
- Airframe hours
- 3,133
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wallace C. Hale
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 1995 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- TRM · Thermal, 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 163 total · 158 in this make and model · 29 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 23,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRM, 8 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.