Piper PA-28-180 accident near Bakersfield, California, August 19, 1985
On August 19, 1985 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9653J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bakersfield, California (Bakersfield Airpark). It was a personal 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1985 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bakersfield, California · Bakersfield Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9653J · registry record · serial 28-3818
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT, AS HE WAS ON THE LANDING ROLL, TWO DOGS CHASED A HORSE ACROSS THE RUNWAY, AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO AVOID STRIKING THE HORSE WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING.
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: 663 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 613 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,311 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLO Delano CA at 7:10 pm
- Destination: L45
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,150 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from BFL, 7 miles away
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 N9653J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX85LA358.