Piper PA-28-161 N38916

Summary

On 7 January 1983 at about 02:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N38916 was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 January 1983 at 02:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Bakersfield, California, United States

Nearest airport

Bakersfield (L45)

Coordinates

35.1998, -118.8606

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N38916

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Imperial → Bakersfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX83LA068

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE TAKE-OFF AND WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. DURING ARRIVAL AT NIGHT, HE CIRCLED TWICE OVER THE AIRPORT AND NOTICED THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE CLEAR, THEN ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND. THE PILOT STATED THAT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, HE EXPERIENCED A MOMENTARY, UNEXPECTED WHITE-OUT. REPORTEDLY, A THIN ARM OF GROUND FOG WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THAT BRIEF MOMENT, THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT OVER THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. TWO RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE SHEARED OFF. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN THE WHEEL HIT A CONCRETE SLAB AT THE BASE OF A RUNWAY LIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.