WPR26LA034

On October 28, 2025, about 1845 Pacific daylight time, a Piper Arrow PA-28R-200, N5107S, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Upland, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and the passenger were about 33 miles west of Cable Airport (KCCB), Upland, California, when the pilot observed the oil pressure decrease to the lower limit of the green arc. About 14 miles west of CCB, the oil pressure reduced to zero; however, all other engine indications appeared normal. The pilot then decreased the power to about 16–17 inches of Hg and reviewed his checklist. He obtained approval from air traffic control (ATC) to initiate a descent and then commenced a descent from about 5,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot subsequently adjusted the airplane’s course slightly southward to avoid elevated terrain to the north and to maintain proximity to Brackett Field Airport (POC – La Verne, CA) as a precaution. As the airplane descended through 3,000 ft msl, the pilot observed an ”explosion” within the engine cowling. Initially, he observed that there was significant engine roughness accompanied by a minor reduction in power while the airplane began to shake. The pilot then reduced the throttle further; however, he was unable to regain engine power. After determining the airplane’s position, he completed an engine failure checklist, declared an emergency, and informed ATC of the circumstance, and requested to land at POC. The pilot then observed smoke emanating from the cowling, which prompted him to lean the mixture, deactivate the fuel pump, and execute a power-off emergency landing. ATC advised the pilot of the weather conditions at POC, after which he transferred to POC’s tower frequency and updated the controller. He maintained the flaps in the 0° position and retracted the landing gear during the base to final turn. As the pilot maneuvered the airplane onto runway 26L, the stall warning activated. The pilot stated that the airplane stalled in a level attitude about 15-20 feet above the ground and subsequently landed hard on the runway. The airplane touched down on the northern edge of the displaced threshold, where it slid to a stop oriented sideways at the center of runway 26L. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the lower fuselage. The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.