Piper PA-32R-301T N8171G
20 April 1994 · Santa Monica, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 20 April 1994 at about 18:23 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T registered N8171G, operated by Patrick D. Brinnon, was involved in an accident near Santa Monica, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:23
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Santa Monica, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Santa Monica (SMO)
- Coordinates
- 34.0100, -118.4609
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T
- Registration
- N8171G
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Patrick D. Brinnon
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Van Nuys
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94FA198
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
fuel starvation resulting from the failure of the pilot to select a tank containing fuel, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
AFTER A CROSS-COUNTRY INTERMEDIATE STOP, THE PILOT DEPARTED FOR THE LAST PORTION OF HIS FLIGHT. JUST AFTER LIFT-OFF, WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN QUIT. THE PILOT BEGAN A 180-DEGREE RIGHT TURN AND ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 300 AND 400 FEET. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE AND A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE. A POSTCRASH FIRE BEGAN AT THE RIGHT WING AND PROGRESSED ALONG THE GROUND TOWARD THE LEFT WING. THE RIGHT WING WAS DESTROYED. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING WAS PUNCTURED AT THE INBOARD FUEL TANK; HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING RECEIVED NO CHARRING OR PAINT BLISTERING, ONLY SOOTING PRIMARILY ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE LEFT TANK. SIXTEEN OUNCES OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT WING. ABOUT 1 GALLON OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT WING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32R accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Live Oak, Florida, United States | Barker, Sirios C. | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1994 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Salem, Ohio, United States | Affordable Leasing, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 19 Aug 1994 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | Kulwicki, Joseph F. | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | Guardione Vincent & Michael | No injuries | - |
| 22 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Berlin, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Nov 1994 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Tripui, Mexico | Flyers, Inc. | No injuries | - |
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 | - |