Piper PA-28-161 accident near Bakersfield, California, April 18, 1984
On April 18, 1984 at about 8:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N38916, was destroyed in an accident near Bakersfield, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 18, 1984 · about 8:00 am local time
- Place
- Bakersfield, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N38916 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7716293
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT DEPARTED IMPERIAL, CA ON 4/18/84 AT ABOUT 1845 PST. TWO PEOPLE REPORTED THAT AT 2100 TO 2200 PST, THEY SAW AN ACFT CIRCLING IN THE AREA OF CUMMINGS MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 10 MI SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, BUT BECAUSE THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED WITH CLOUDS & RAIN, THE ACFT DISAPPEARED. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION, A SEARCH WAS BEGUN WHICH LASTED 9 DAYS, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT FOUND AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED ON 8/28/84 WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF 3300 FT MSL. ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AREA FORCAST FOR THE VICINITY OF THE CRASH SITE WAS FOR BROKEN TO OVERCAST CLOUDS AT 2000 TO 3000 FT MSL WITH TOPS AT 16,000 FT. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP RIGHT BANK, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IPL Imperial CA at 2:45 am
- Destination: L45 Bakersfield CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 am from BFL
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 N38916 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.