Piper PA-28-140 accident near Banning, California, July 18, 1994
On July 18, 1994 at about 6:06 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N4487X, was destroyed in an accident near Banning, California (Banning Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to obtain and maintain an appropriate climb airspeed after lift-off which resulted in an inadvertent stall mush condition. Factors in the accident were the high-density altitude condition, the pilot's selection of a runway with an uphill gradient, and the pilot's loading of the aircraft 223 pounds in excess of the maximum allowable gross takeoff weight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1994 · about 6:06 pm local time
- Place
- Banning, California · Banning Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N4487X · no longer on the register · serial 28-7625043
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING FROM PHOENIX TO VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, AND STOPPED AT BANNING FOR FUEL. AFTER ARRIVAL, 45.1 GALLONS OF 100 LL AVIATION FUEL WERE LOADED INTO THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TAXIED OUT AND DEPARTED ON THE 5,200-FOOT-LONG RUNWAY 26, WHICH HAS AN UPHILL GRADIENT OF 2.4 PERCENT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES ON THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT USED APPROXIMATELY 4,200 FEET OF THE RUNWAY LENGTH DURING THE GROUND RUN AND NEVER ACHIEVED MORE THAN 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL IN THE CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLOWLY DESCENDED IN A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE AS THE WINGS OSCILLATED SLIGHTLY. A PILOT WITNESS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY PARALLEL TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT PATH REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUND SPEED GRADUALLY DECAYED BELOW 55 MPH AS THE NOSE ROSE HIGHER AND HIGHER. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SLIGHT LEFT TURN, THEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 40-FOOT-TALL POWER POLE AND CAME TO REST ON THE DRIVEWAY OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED 223 POUNDS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 4,240 FEET. NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 705 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,828 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1994; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BNG at 6:04 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PSP, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.