Piper PA-24-250 accident near Pomona, California, August 18, 2005
On August 18, 2005 at about 2:50 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N7342P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pomona, California (Chino airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power during the landing approach due to fuel starvation caused by debris and corrosion in the carburetor assembly. A factor contributing to the accident was the failure of the owner to comply with the manufacturer's service bulletin regarding overhaul of the carburetor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2005 · about 2:50 am local time
- Place
- Pomona, California · Chino · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7342P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2521
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on approach for the destination airport, the pilot reported engine problems, and attempted to land in a field short of the airport. During the forced landing, the left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane tumbled through an impact sequence. During the postaccident engine examination, investigators noted debris and corrosion inside the carburetor and the main jet passage. The airframe and engine inspection revealed no further mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Safety Board metallurgist examined the carburetor and debris/particles. The examination identified that the debris/particles were most likely a combination of lead and soil that had built up over time. The corrosion indicated prolonged exposure to water. The particles probably caused a restricted flow of air-fuel mixture in the main jet that eventually resulted in a reduction or loss of engine power once the particulate contamination had built up to a significant amount. There were no entries in either the airframe or engine logbook indicating that the carburetor had ever been overhauled in its 46-year history. The carburetor manufacturer issued a service bulletin regarding the overhaul of the accident airplanes' carburetor. The recommended time for the overhaul was either at the engine manufacturer's time between overhaul, or every 10 years the carburetor was in service, whichever came first. While service bulletins are not mandatory, had the carburetor been inspected at the manufacturer's recommended intervals, the corrosion and debris may have been identified and source of the fuel system contamination corrected. Investigators noted that the airplane had not been equipped with a shoulder harness restraint system. The fatal injuries for the pilot and front seat passenger were caused by head and upper torso trauma associated with the upper body not being restrained during the impact sequence. The airplane manufacturer had issued Service Bulletin No. 980, Shoulder Harness Installation, in 1995, for the accident make and model airplane. The pilot/owner had purchased the shoulder harness restraint system kit for his airplane, but had not installed them. The still packaged shoulder harnesses were found in the debris field by the investigation team.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,841.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 80.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TOA Torrance CA
- Destination: CNO Chino CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from CNO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.