Piper PA24 N7472P

Summary

On 17 September 2018 at about 20:35 local time, a Piper PA24 registered N7472P was involved in an accident near Upland, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 September 2018 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Upland, California, United States

Nearest airport

Cable (CCB)

Coordinates

34.1114, -117.6872

Aircraft

Piper PA24

Registration

N7472P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reno → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18LA268

2 people had minor injuries.

Loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on final approach to the destination airport at the conclusion of a cross-country flight when the engine lost total power. Unable to restore engine power, the pilot performed a forced landing to a field short of the runway, during which the airplane impacted large rocks, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane revealed about 25 total gallons of fuel onboard. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, except for the aft boost pump, which contained a mixture of fuel and water. Given the lack of other anomalies and the presence of fuel onboard, it is likely that the engine ingested the fuel/water mixture, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.