# NTSB WPR23LA121: Piper PA-28-180, N9375J, San Andreas, CA, March 3, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 3, 2023, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: San Andreas, CA - Coordinates: 38.146449, -120.64744 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1464&lon=-120.6474&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 106841 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR23LA121 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106841/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106841 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA121 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Power plant](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 198 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-180, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7102808), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airplane had recently undergone extensive maintenance; the accident flight was a return leg to the pilot’s home airport after having flown the first leg earlier in the day. The initial departure was normal, and when reaching about 300 ft above ground level (agl), the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot performed an off-airport landing, and the airplane impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The carburetor was replaced two days before the accident; the examination did not find anomalies with the carburetor. There was no fuel found in the carburetor bowl, but it could not be determined if that was the condition at the time of impact or if the fuel system could deliver metered fuel to the engine. While the FAA's Carburetor Icing Chart revealed the probability of serious icing between cruise and glide power for the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the investigation could not conclusively determine that carburetor ice caused the loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On March 3, 2023, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, N9375J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Calaveras County Airport, San Andreas, California. The pilot and co-pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that the airplane had recently undergone extensive maintenance. He stated that earlier in the day, he and the co-pilot departed from Lodi, California, their home airport. That flight was the first flight after maintenance, and they performed a series of maneuvers along the way. After landing in San Andreas, they took a 20-25 minute break, and intended to fly back to Lodi. The pilot performed a preflight inspection and engine runup with no anomalies noted. He then configured the airplane for a soft-field takeoff and extended the flaps to 25°, noting “everything seemed and sounded normal.” The initial departure was also normal; however, when reaching about 300 ft agl the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot performed an off-airport landing and impacted terrain hard. A review of the maintenance records provided revealed that the airplane’s carburetor was replaced with a new factory-remanufactured carburetor two days before to the accident. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors performed both on-scene and follow-up examinations. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was largely intact with minimal damage. There was mainly crush deformation to the engine firewall. The magneto switch was set to "both." The master switch and fuel selector were reportedly both turned off after pilot and passenger extrication. The fuel quantity in the left wing was about four gallons but due to the tilt of the airplane at the accident site the exact amount could not be determined. The fuel quantity in the right wing could not be determined. A sample of fluid from the wings revealed uncontaminated blue liquid consistent in odor and coloration with that of 100LL AVGAS. The engine was intact, though its mount showed deformation. The propeller remained attached, with one blade showing minor deformity near the tip and another bent consistent with ground impact. There was no evidence of propeller rotation upon impact, with a single half-arc mark visible where the airplane came to rest. An external visual examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact catastrophic mechanical malfunction or fire. The top spark plugs were removed; no mechanical damage was noted, and the electrodes and posts exhibited a light ash gray coloration, which corresponds to normal operation according to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart. The ignition harnesses were attached from both magnetos and their respective spark plugs. The magnetos were found securelyclamped at their mounting pads. The magnetos were removed and rotated by hand. Spark was produced at each lead. The crankshaft was rotated by hand utilizing the propeller. The crankshaft was free and easy to rotate in both directions. Thumb compression was observed in proper order on all four cylinders. Normal lift action was observed at each rocker assembly. Clean, uncontaminated oil was observed at all four rocker box areas. Mechanical continuity was established throughout the rotating group, valvetrain and accessory sections during hand rotation of the crankshaft. The fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the inlet side of the carburetor was removed and revealed no signs of fuel. The carburetor float bowl drain plug was removed and revealed no fuel. It could not be determined if the fuel had evaporated after recovery. There were no anomalies found with the carburetor. The carburetor icing probability chart from FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, shows that at the temperature and dew point reported at the time of the accident, the conditions were bordering between the probability of serious icing at glide power and at cruise power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9375J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9375J), registered now, S/N 28-3474, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (registry code 7102808) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-3474 - Year built: 1966 - Engines: Lycoming O-390-A3A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: CFI Academy - Registered owner: Panjab Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: 1O3, Lodi, CA - Airport: CPU, Calaveras County-Maury Rasmussen Fld - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: minor; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 31, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 5,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 4,800 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days - Co-pilot; age 33; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 10, 2022; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 675 total, 200 in this make and model, 600 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 210° at 6 knots, gusting 12 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: KO22, 13 nm away - METAR: KO22 032115Z AUTO 21006G12KT 10SM CLR 13/03 A2997 RMK A01 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20230303003449A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230303003449A), Mar 3, 2023: Piper PA-28-180, Calaveras, CA, Destroyed. The onsite investigation revealed a 1966, single engine fixed-wing, departed the Calaveras airport (kcpu) on runway 31 at 13:30 pm PST on March 03, 2023. On… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 13, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106841. 2.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18079197&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Z-%20Attachment%2001%20-%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Records of conversation (item 2, PDF, 10 pages, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18079479&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Z%20-%20Attachment%2003%20-%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Rel.pdf - Maintenance logbook excerpt (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 615 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18078711&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Mx%20record-Rel.pdf - Photographs (provided by the FAA) (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 589 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18078944&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=C-Form%20Photos-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.