Piper PA-24-250 accident near Lincoln, California, June 24, 1985
On June 24, 1985 at about 4:02 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N5916P, was destroyed in an accident near Lincoln, California (Lincoln Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were 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
- June 24, 1985 · about 4:02 am local time
- Place
- Lincoln, California · Lincoln Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5916P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL AT DUSK, THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR, BUT DID NOT OBSERVE A GEAR DOWM LIGHT INDICATION. HE RECYCLED THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES, THEN UTILIZED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENTION SYS. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE USED THE EXTENTION SYS, HE RELEASED THE ELECTRIC GEAR MOTOR, THEN EXTENDED THE TELESCOPIC EMERGENCY ARM REARWARD. HOWEVER, THE ARM SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FORWARD POSITION TO LOWER THE GEAR. ALSO, THE INVESTIGATOR NOTED THAT WHEN THE NAV LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON, THE GREEN GEAR DOWN & AMBER GEAR UP LIGHTS WOULD HAVE AUTOMATICALLY DIMMED. SUBSEQUENTLY, WHEN THE PLT LANDED, THE GEAR COLLAPSED, A FIRE ERUPTED & THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. NO PRE-ACCIDENT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
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: 448 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 402 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,722 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Q95 Ruth CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.