Piper PA-32-300 N3AH
10 June 1990 · Havasu Landing, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 10 June 1990 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N3AH, operated by Darrel L. Gillman, was involved in an accident near Havasu Landing, California, United States. 6 people were on board and 3 died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Havasu Landing, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.7799, -114.5900
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300
- Registration
- N3AH
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Darrel L. Gillman
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lake Havasu → Redlands
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90FA213
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY SECURE AN OIL SUPPLY LINE B-NUT FITTING AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, WHICH ALLOWED THE OIL LINE TO BECOME DISCONNECTED AND LED TO OIL EXHAUSTION AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE CLIMBING ABT 7 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. HE THEN HEARD A NOISE FM THE ENG & DIVERTED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, THEN FAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT IMPACTED TRRN DURING AN EMERG LNDG IN A DRY RIVER WASH & BEGAN BURNING. ONE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED DURING THE ACDNT. THE PLT (WITH THERMAL INJURIES) & 1 PSGR SUCCUMBED TO INJURIES A DAY LATER. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A LOSS OF OIL & OIL EXHAUSTION. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT A B-NUT FITTING (ON AN OIL LINE FM THE ENG TO THE RGT OIL COOLER) HAD BACKED OFF THE NIPPLE FITTING ON THE ENG. A HVY COATING OF OIL WAS FND ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT PERFORMED HIS OWN OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGES. HE HAD CHANGED THE OIL & FILTER 2 DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT. THE SUBJECT OIL SUPPLY LINE WAS ONE THAT WAS TYPICALLY REMOVED DURING OIL CHANGES TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF THE OIL FILTER AND TO DRAIN THE OIL COOLER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-32-260 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | Martinaire | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 1990 | Piper PA-32 | Kashvik Bay, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1990 | Piper PA-32 | Kongikank, Alaska, United States | Ervin, Terry | No injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 1990 | Piper PA-32-RT300 | Gaylord, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 16 Mar 1990 | Piper PA-32-301 | Almautlak, Alaska, United States | Arctic Circle Air Service | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 May 1990 | Piper PA-32-300 | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1990 | Cessna 180 | Soledad, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1990 | Cessna 150 | Riverside, California, United States | PAR Flight | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1990 | Piper PA46 | Paso Robles, California, United States | Piper Aircraft Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1990 | Cessna 182M | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1990 | Piper J-3 | Creston, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1990 | Bell 47G4 | Merced, California, United States | John W. Myers | Serious injuries | - |