Piper PA-24-250 N8286P

Summary

On 14 February 2001 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N8286P was involved in an accident near Petaluma, 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.

Date

14 February 2001 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Petaluma, California, United States

Nearest airport

Petaluma Muni (O69)

Coordinates

38.2578, -122.6053

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N8286P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Rosa → Petaluma

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA097

Nobody was injured.

Failure of non-airframe and powerplant mechanic/certificated owners to properly install a new mixture cable that became entangled in the nose landing gear during its extension for landing, resulting in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During landing, the engine lost power. The airplane collided with trees, and made a hard landing in an open dirt field in the ensuing forced landing. On the downwind leg for landing, the pilot lowered the landing gear, and the engine began to run rough. He noted that the landing gear stopped about halfway down. He attempted to add power, but did not receive a corresponding power increase, and set up for an emergency landing. A visual external examination of the engine revealed that the mixture cable was entangled in the nose landing gear. When the landing gear was lowered the mixture cable was pulled out of its sleeve, which allowed the engine to be in a full lean position. Mixture, throttle, and propeller cables were recently installed by the pilot and his two partners. The pilot and his partners were not certificated A & P mechanics, and a certified mechanic had not returned the airplane to service after the cable installation. The last entry in the logbook was made 6 months prior to the accident,.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.