Piper PA-30 accident near Death Valley, California, March 29, 1985
On March 29, 1985, a Piper PA-30, registered N802Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Death Valley, California (Death Valley airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
- March 29, 1985
- Place
- Death Valley, California · Death Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N802Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-784
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A FLT FROM RENO, NV TO PHOENIX, AZ, THERE WAS A PARTIAL POWER LOSS IN THE LEFT ENG AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU 15,000 FT WITH AN OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF -15 DEG. THE FUEL SELECTORS COULD NOT BE MOVED, SO THE PLT RETARDED THE RIGHT ENG POWER & DESCENDED. THE LEFT ENG CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH, SO HE DIVERTED & LANDED AT THE DEATH VALLEY ARPT. ABOUT 1/2 HR AFTER LANDING, THE FUEL SELECTOR COULD BE MOVED. THE PLT SAID HE DRAINED THE FUEL TANKS UNTIL THE ENGS RAN SMOOTHLY. HE THEN LOADED HIS PASSENGERS & STARTED BOTH ENGS. WHILE TAXIING TO TAKEOFF, THE LEFT ENG LOST POWER & WOULD NOT RESTART. THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED & THEN THE PLT MADE A SINGLE ENG TAKEOFF. AFTER THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE, IT CLIMBED BRIEFLY, THEN BEGAN TURNING TO THE LEFT. AFTER TURNING ABOUT 130 DEG, THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND BETWEEN 2 SAND DUNES. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT ENG SERVO & RIGHT MAIN FUEL SUMP. A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER WAS FOUND MIXED WITH FUEL IN THE MAIN TANKS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,039 hours in all; 2,418 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 2,707 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,563 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Underwood Assoc. INC.
The flight
- Departed from: L06 Death Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,040 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.