Piper PA-28-140 N8742N

Summary

On 15 July 1995 at about 19:35 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N8742N was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 1995 at 19:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear City, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City (L35)

Coordinates

34.2608, -116.8403

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N8742N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Corona

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA254

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION AND FAILURE TO OBTAIN OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING TAKEOFF. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ABOUT 300 FEET INTO THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE PILOT NOTED THE ENGINE RPM HAD DECREASED AND THE RATE OF CLIMB WAS ZERO. HE INITIATED A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY, BUT NOTED HE WAS LOSING BOTH AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. HE LOWERED ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND. WITH AIRSPEED STILL DECREASING, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE ESTIMATED DENSITY WAS 8,700 FEET. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, MAXIMUM POWER AVAILABLE AT THAT DENSITY ALTITUDE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETWEEN 65 AND 70 PERCENT, OR NO MORE THAN 2,315 RPM AT CRUISE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND A POST-ACCIDENT RUNUP OF THE ENGINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.