Piper PA-28-140 accident near Atwater, California, August 29, 1992
On August 29, 1992, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N7250F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atwater, California (Atwater MunicaIpal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS AND THE PILOTS FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT BACK ON THE RUNWAY. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE TAIL WIND CONDITION ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT AND THE SHORT NATURE OF THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1992
- Place
- Atwater, California · Atwater MunicaIpal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7250F · no longer on the register · serial 28-25167
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID THAT THE FLIGHT DEPARTED RUNWAY 30 AND AT ABOUT 900 FEET DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB THE ENGINE POWER LEVEL SMOOTHLY REDUCED TO ABOUT 2,000 RPM. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO ROUGHNESS ASSOCIATED WITH THE POWER LOSS. THE PILOT SAID SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN AHEAD AND ELECTED TO PERFORM A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LAND DOWN WIND ON RUNWAY 12. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT THOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE STOPPED PRIOR TO COLLIDING WITH A FENCE AT THE RUNWAY END. SHE SAID SHE ADDED ALL AVAILABLE POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF AND OVER THE FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND AND COLLIDED WITH TWO CORAL FENCES ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF A MILE BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THE WINDS AT THE TIME WERE FROM ABOUT 310 DEGREES AT ABOUT 10 KNOTS. THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME WERE EXAMINED BY FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS WHO DID NOT FIND EVIDENCE TO EXPLAIN THE REPORTED LOSS OF POWER.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 870 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 795 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,229 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 24, 1992; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 2,670 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.