Piper PA-28-140 N4129J
16 April 1994 · Hesperia, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 April 1994 at about 05:32 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N4129J, operated by George Abernathy, was involved in an accident near Hesperia, 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 05:32
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hesperia, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.3603, -117.3206
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N4129J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- George Abernathy
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Big Bear City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA189
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO AN AIR LEAK AT THE GASCOLATOR GASKET, WHICH WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED DURING MAINTENANCE. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT DEPARTED AT NIGHT FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT AFTER AN EN ROUTE STOP. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, ABOUT 200' ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER & SELECTED A FORCED LANDING AREA. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BUSH, SEPARATING THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING. THE PILOT RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE & CONDUCTED SEVERAL POST-CRASH INSPECTIONS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED A LEAK AT THE GASCOLATOR GASKET. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THE GASCOLATOR WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED & THE FUEL SCREEN WAS MISSING. ALSO, THE LIP OF THE GASCOLATOR BOWL HAD 2 GOUGES, THE GASKET WAS TOO SMALL FOR THE INSTALLATION, & THE GASKET APPEARED TO HAVE ALLOWED AIR INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAA INSPECTOR COULD NOT DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT THE PILOT'S POST-CRASH INSPECTION HAD ON THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ABOUT 25 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
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 | - |