Piper PA28 N15321

Summary

On 23 December 2018 at about 00:22 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N15321, operated by TRC Holdings, was involved in an accident near Santa Ana, California, United States. 2 people were 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

23 December 2018 at 00:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Ana, California, United States

Nearest airport

John Wayne Airport (KSNA)

Coordinates

33.6753, -117.8689

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N15321

Category

Airplane

Year built

1972

Engines

1

Operator

TRC Holdings

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Santa Ana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19LA050

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to a loose carburetor bowl.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff on the instructional flight, the engine lost total power. The flight instructor took the airplane controls and returned to the airport for a forced landing, during which the airplane landed hard on a taxiway, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination revealed that the carburetor bowl was loose and displayed evidence of a fuel leak. The leak likely resulted in fuel flow irregularities and the loss of engine power. Although service bulletins had been published by both the carburetor and engine manufacturer to address this issue, there was no evidence to suggest that the accident airplane had undergone the inspections specified by the service bulletins.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.