Piper PA-28-150 accident near Hesperia, California, July 31, 2001
On July 31, 2001 at about 7:38 am local time, a Piper PA-28-150, registered N5346W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hesperia, California (Hesperia airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion while maneuvering in an attempt to locate the runway. Contributing factors were the inadequate runway maintenance that resulted in inoperative runway edge lights, and the night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2001 · about 7:38 am local time
- Place
- Hesperia, California · Hesperia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-150 · all PA-28-150s on the register
- Registration
- N5346W · registry record · serial 28-405
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted wires and terrain following a loss of engine power while maneuvering near an airport. The commercial pilot planned a 4 hour 45 minute flight with 5 hours 20 minutes of fuel on board. When the pilot arrived at his destination airport, he was unable to locate the airport because of poor visibility. The pilot then diverted to another airport, and activated its pilot controlled runway lighting; however, the runway lights only remained illuminated for 5 minutes, then went out. The pilot attempted to reactivate the runway lights, but was unsuccessful. The pilot became concerned about the fuel situation and descended toward the ground in an attempt to locate the runway. The engine lost power and the airplane impacted wires approximately 0.6 miles west of the airport. The sheriff deputy, who responded to the accident site and interviewed the pilot, indicated he flew within 0.6 miles of the diversion airport approximately 1 month after the accident, and attempted to illuminate the pilot controlled runway lights. According to the deputy, he was unsuccessful in activating the runway lights after several attempts from various locations around the airport.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RDD Redding CA at 3:28 am
- Destination: L26 Hesperia CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 3, 3,910 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 am from DAG, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5346W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.