Piper PA-28R-180 N3820T
7 January 2004 · California City, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 January 2004 at about 05:00 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N3820T, operated by Inland Flight Training, was involved in an accident near California City, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 05:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- California City, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- California City Municipal Airp (L71)
- Coordinates
- 35.1511, -118.0167
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Registration
- N3820T
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Inland Flight Training
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- California City → Palomar
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX04LA090
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's decision to continue taxiing during dark night conditions without an operable taxi/landing light or taxiway lights and his failure to maintain taxiway alignment. Contributing factors to the accident were the dark night light conditions, the failed landing light, and the lack of taxiway lights.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The single-engine airplane encountered a ditch while taxiing for takeoff resulting in the collapse of the right main landing gear. The pilot stated that it was a dark night and he was relying on the landing light to help guide him down a taxiway parallel to the runway, as the airport was not equipped with taxiway edge lighting. While taxiing, the landing light suddenly turned off and he was unable to see his outside surroundings. The pilot inadvertently taxied off the left side of the taxiway, where the airplane encountered the ditch located in the dirt median. With the exception of the landing light, no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were reported.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28R accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 2004 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Peru, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2004 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Galt, California, United States | Ahart Aviation Services | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 2004 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Harrietstown, New York, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Apr 2004 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Elyria, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2004 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Lone Rock, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2004 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Lake Eildon, Australia | Jason Lind | Fatal | 4 |
All 1,342 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 2004 | Globe GC-1B | Placerville, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 May 2004 | Downer BELLANCA 14-19-2 | Lancaster, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 2004 | Beechcraft A60 | Gualala, California, United States | Richard L. Probert | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2004 | Alon A2 | Cameron Park, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Sep 2004 | Cessna 172S | Willits, California, United States | Edward A. Warburton | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2004 | Cessna 172P | Granada Hills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |