Piper PA-24-250 accident near Big Bear City, California, June 13, 1996
On June 13, 1996 at about 6:29 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N7280P, was destroyed in an accident near Big Bear City, California (Big Bear City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper preflight by the pilot, by failing to ensure that the fuel selector was positioned to an approved fuel tank with adequate fuel before takeoff; his failure to reposition the fuel selector (per emergency procedures) after the loss of engine power; and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1996 · about 6:29 pm local time
- Place
- Big Bear City, California · Big Bear City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7280P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2456
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb after takeoff, the aircraft's engine abruptly and completely lost power when the aircraft was about 200 feet above ground level. Witnesses reported that the aircraft continued ahead until its nose pitched up once or twice. The left wing then dropped, and the aircraft fell into the shallow water of a lake. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left auxiliary tank. In an interview, the pilot acknowledged that he had not checked the selector position before takeoff as required by the aircraft checklist, and he had inadvertently departed with the fuel selector positioned to the empty auxiliary tank.
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: 620 hours in all; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 595 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,690 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1996; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-D1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L35 at 6:27 pm
- Destination: BLH Blythe CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,850 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from L35, 1 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.