Piper PA-28R-200 accident near San Luis Obispo, CA
On August 7, 1994, a Piper PA-28R-200 (airplane) was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 7, 1994
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.251°N, 120.619°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02062
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 7, 1994, at 0006 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N6959J, collided with power lines during an attempted night forced landing at San Luis Obispo, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by American Aviation, Inc., and was on a dual instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions were prevalent at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence. The certificated flight instructor, the student pilot, and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the San Luis Obispo airport at 0003 on the morning of the accident. Witnesses near the scene of the accident reported seeing the aircraft flying between 50 and 100 feet agl, approximately 3 1/2 miles west of the airport. They described the aircraft as flying westbound and then entering a gradually descending southerly left turn over the 101 Freeway. Several witnesses stated that the aircraft's position lights and rotating beacon appeared illuminated. Two witnesses stated that the engine sounds were unusually loud and did not sound normal. As the aircraft descended in a turn over the freeway and approached a section of overhead high-tension electrical lines that spanned the roadway, a brilliant flash was described by numerous witnesses. Almost simultaneously, the city of San Luis Obispo reported a major power outage occurring at 0006 on the morning of the accident. The driver of a compact pickup truck, who was northbound on the 101 Freeway a few hundred feet south of the electrical lines, reported
Probable cause
the failure of the No. 4 cylinder connecting rod for undetermined reasons. The dark night lighting conditions, which hampered the ability of the pilots to detect the power lines, was a factor in this accident.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
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- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
