Piper PA-28-235 accident near Cloverdale, California, June 23, 1994
On June 23, 1994 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N8549C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cloverdale, California. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 1994 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cloverdale, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8549C · registry record · serial 28-7610078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was cruising at 5,500 feet when the engine sputtered a couple of times. He looked at the fuel pressure gauge, and pressure was decreasing. After turning on the fuel pump, the pilot switched fuel tanks from the left main to the right main, and the engine did not respond. The pilot said he then shut everything off and made a forced landing in a river bed. An examination of the engine established aircraft electrical and fuel continuity. No visible signs of detonation were observed in the engine cylinders. No obstructions were noted in the fuel lines. The engine was started and run for 15 minutes at 3 different power combinations.
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: 607 hours in all; 260 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1993; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4-B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O09 Covelo CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: OAK Oakland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from UKI, 20 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.
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.