Piper PA-30 accident near Hollister, California, August 14, 1985
On August 14, 1985 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7982Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hollister, California (Hollister airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- August 14, 1985 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hollister, California · Hollister · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7982Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT AND GND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN LANDING GEARS. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE LANDING GEAR CONTROL HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. ALL OF THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION PUSH PULL TUBES REMAINED ATTACHED AT THEIR RESPECTIVE ATTACH FITTINGS. THE NOSE GEAR PUSH PULL TUBE AND ITS ATTACH BOLT WERE BENT TO THE LEFT. THE TRANSMISSION ASSY SEPARATED FROM ITS MOUNTING BRACKET AND WAS FOUND ON THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE LND GEAR MOTOR OPERATED NORMALLY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 252 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: HIO Hillsboro OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,350 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N7982Y 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.