Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Alpine, California, June 4, 2006
On June 4, 2006 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N4438T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alpine, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to the aviation maintenance technician's failure to install the correct oil sump quick drain, which resulted in the inadvertent draining of engine oil during flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2006 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Alpine, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N4438T · registry record · serial 28R-7235050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost oil pressure in flight and was damaged in an encounter with rough terrain during a forced landing. The oil sump quick drain valve was replaced the day of the accident. On the first flight following the replacement, 2 quarts of oil were lost. The aviation maintenance technician retorqued the valve and the maintenance test flight was successful. The instructor departed on a local instructional flight with a student and about 50 minutes into the flight, oil pressure decreased and the engine revolutions per minute were fluctuating. The instructor shut down the engine and force landed the airplane. The installed oil sump quick drain valve, a Safe-Air 5000, had an extension of 1.9 inches. The approved Piper quick drain valve (Piper part number 492-172V) has an extension of 0.21-inch. Airworthiness Directive 81-11-02 R1 states that unapproved drain valves can cause inadvertent draining of oil when the gear is retracted and that only Piper approved parts should be used for the oil sump quick drain installation in this airplane model.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 478 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEE El Cajon CA at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.