Piper PA-18-150 N7498L

Summary

On 15 September 1995 at about 18:45 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N7498L was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 September 1995 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Bakersfield, California, United States

Coordinates

35.5403, -118.9095

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N7498L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vacaville → Barstow

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA335

Nobody was injured.

a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, ACCOMPANIED BY A VERY HIGH OIL TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE RED LINE. THE ENGINE QUIT ALTOGETHER SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS SET UP FOR A LANDING IN A BARE FIELD WHEN HE NOTICED WORKERS IN THE TOUCHDOWN AREA AND HE WAS FORCED TO LAND IN THE VINEYARD. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THE INITIAL ON-SITE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS, LINES AND CARBURETOR. THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT ROTATED IN A NORMAL MANNER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO AN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY. NO PARTICLES OR DEBRIS WERE FOUND IN THE OIL STRAINER OR SUMP. THE LEFT MAGNETO TIMING WAS 25 DEGREES AND THE RIGHT WAS 28 DEGREES. UTILIZING THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RUN FOR 15 MINUTES AT IDLE, MID-RANGE, AND FULL POWER SETTINGS. ENGINE OPERATION WAS NORMAL, WITH NORMAL RANGE OIL PRESSURES AND TEMPERATURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.