Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Coaling, California, November 11, 1982
On November 11, 1982 at about 7:37 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N3035M, was destroyed in an accident near Coaling, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 1982 · about 7:37 am local time
- Place
- Coaling, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N3035M · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7803161
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED MISSING, THEN LOST 10 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. HE IMMEDIATELY POSITIONED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND STARTED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO WORSEN. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE OIL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS THROUGH CLOUDS TOWARD THE NEAREST AIRPORT, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE THAT FAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE CRASH LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #5 PISTON HAD SUSTAINED PRE- IGNITION/DETONATION BURN THROUGH OF THE RING BELT STRUCTURE BETWEEN THE LOWER SPARK PLUG AND EXHAUST VALVE POSITIONS. THE #5 CONNECTING ROD HAD OVERHEATED TO BEARING DESTRUCTION. EITHER THE CRANKPIN END OF THE ROD OR THE RELEASE CAP HAD RUPTURED THE CASE. THE FUEL PUMP IDLE ADJUSTMENT AND ANEROID HAD BEEN SET TO HIGH PRESSURE (LEAN) AND THE FUEL CONTROL NEEDLE VALVE HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TO HIGH FLOW. THESE SETTING WOULD CAUSE PREIGNITION/DETONATION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,180 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days; 2,040 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,297 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-36O-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight East, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: AI Hayward CA at 10:46 pm
- Destination: AI Burbank CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 135° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 131°F (55°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N3035M 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.