Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lodi, California, October 31, 2005
On October 31, 2005 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N83785, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lodi, California. It was a personal 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 for undetermined reasons. A factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2005 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lodi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N83785 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8116211
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise, the engine lost power and the pilot made a forced landing in an orchard, separating the right wing at the root. The pilot said he departed on the flight with one fuel tank at the "tabs, and the other fuel tank contained 7-8 gallons." Approximately 25 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine and had to force land the airplane. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection indicated that the airplane had been tied down outside during the 2 months between the inspection and the accident flight. A Safety Board investigator conducted an engine inspection and engine ground test run with no discrepancies found that would have precluded normal operation of the engine.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 331 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O20 Lodi CA at 11:25 pm
- Destination: O20
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from SCK, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.