Piper PA-28-140 N20BS
23 February 1994 · Santa Rosa, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 23 February 1994 at about 18:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N20BS, operated by Redwood Aviation Enterprises, was involved in an accident near Santa Rosa, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Santa Rosa, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sonoma County Airport (STS)
- Coordinates
- 38.4995, -122.7599
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N20BS
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Redwood Aviation Enterprises
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Sacramento
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA136
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure that the powerplant controls were configured properly before moving the aircraft propeller. Inadequate planning/decision making was a factor in this accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON A TRAINING FLIGHT, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT WERE SEATED IN THE AIRPLANE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE TURNED OVER SLOWLY, BUT FAILED TO START. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THE PROBLEM TO BE WITH THE STARTER. SHE DECIDED TO EXIT THE AIRPLANE TO REPOSITION THE PROPELLER IN ORDER TO FREE THE STARTER. IN THE PROCESS, THE PROPELLER ROTATED AND STRUCK THE HEAD AND SHOULDER OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE STUDENT INSIDE THE AIRPLANE DID NOT MANIPULATE THE CONTROLS WHILE THE INSTRUCTOR WAS OUTSIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT CONTROLS REVEALED THAT THE MASTER SWITCH WAS OFF, MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROLS AT IDLE, AND THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS ON.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-28-140 | Augusta, Maine, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 1994 | Piper PA-28-180C | Nunda, New York, United States | Raymond J. Marshall | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1994 | Piper PA-28-180 | St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States | JB Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-28-181 | Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28 | Woodland, California, United States | William R. LEE | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-28-180 | Boynton Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |