- Date
- June 7, 1998, 11:17 local (18:17 UTC)
- Place
- El Cajon, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N84451Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980607012559A
- Case key
- 30111
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 certified flight instructor's inadequate preflight which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. A related factor was the unsuitable terrain.
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 instructor pilot was departing with two beginning student pilots for a local area flight. The instructor stated that during the initial climb, about 50 to 100 feet above ground level, the engine lost power and he performed a forced landing beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane was substantially damaged during the forced landing. According to an FAA inspector on scene, during the preflight the fuel gascolator drain may have been left open during the preflight. The flight instructor was counseled by the FAA on preflight procedures.
Factual narrative
On June 7, 1998, at 1117 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N84451, operated by Golden State Aviation of San Diego, California, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at El Cajon, California. Neither the instructor pilot nor the two dual student pilots were injured. The aircraft was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight.
The instructor pilot was departing with two beginning student pilots for a local area flight. He stated that during a departure climbout from runway 27L, about 50 to 100 feet agl, the engine quit and he force landed beyond the runway end.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on-scene, the fuel sump drain may have been left open during the preflight causing fuel starvation during climb. No other discrepancies were found with the airplane by the inspector. The flight instructor was counseled by the FAA regarding preflight procedures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84451
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8290035
- Airframe hours
- 5,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Golden State Aviation
- Registered owner
- Denis M. Breslin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SEE · 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 40 in this make and model · 685 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.