Piper PA-32RT-300T N39658
25 September 1994 · San Mateo, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 25 September 1994 at about 20:50 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T registered N39658, operated by Aero Haven, Inc., was involved in an accident near San Mateo, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- San Mateo, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- San Carlos (SQL)
- Coordinates
- 37.5393, -122.2997
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300T
- Registration
- N39658
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Aero Haven, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Carlos → Big Bear City
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA377
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A deteriorated magneto grounding ('P' lead) and failure of maintenance personnel to detect this condition when the engine was reinstalled in the airframe after overhaul. The lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing was a factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF AND WAS FORCED TO LAND ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED BY AN FAA-CERTIFIED REPAIR STATION 5 MONTHS AND 150 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE MAGNETO REVEALED INTERNAL CORROSION AND ELECTRICAL ARCING AT THE BREAKER POINTS. THE INSULATION ON THE 'P' LEAD WIRE WAS CRACKED ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH EXPOSING BARE WIRE AT ONE POINT. GROUNDING OF THE 'P' LEAD AS A RESULT OF A BARE WIRE TOUCHING THE AIRFRAME WOULD HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32RT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300T | Englewood, Colorado, United States | P.c. Flyers, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300T | Newberry, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300 | Harbor Springs, Michigan, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300 | Sylvan Springs, Alabama, United States | Air Carriers, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300 | Smithville, Tennessee, United States | Tennessee Air Corp Inc., | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-32RT-300 | Sugarloaf Key, Florida, United States | Tibor, Kelly T. | Fatal | 2 |
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 | - |