Piper PA-38-112 N99DM

Summary

On 16 March 2013 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N99DM, operated by Leandro A. Rivera, was involved in an accident near Byron, 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

16 March 2013 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Byron, California, United States

Nearest airport

Byron Airport (C83)

Coordinates

37.8225, -121.6319

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N99DM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Leandro A. Rivera

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Byron → Livermore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA171

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane's engine began to sputter, and it subsequently lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing in a grass field, and, during the landing roll, the right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination revealed that fuel was present in both wing tanks, and no evidence of fuel contamination was found. An attempt to run the engine was unsuccessful because of discrepancies with the airplane's electrical system, gascolator, and the engine's starter. However, none of these discrepancies would have resulted in a loss of engine power. The cause of the engine failure could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.