Piper PA-28-180 accident near Hayward, California, July 26, 1999
On July 26, 1999 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5539W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hayward, California (Hayward Executive airport). 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
the pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat to prevent the formation of carburetor ice while operating in IFR conditions which resulted in the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1999 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Hayward, California · Hayward Executive · 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
- N5539W · no longer on the register · serial 28-629
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a left turn to final approach after descending through an overcast layer, the engine quit about 0.5 miles out from the runway and at 500 feet msl. The pilot switched from the right to the left tank, applied carburetor heat, richened the mixture, advanced the throttle, checked the magneto switch position, and attempted to restart the engine. He did not report turning on his auxiliary electric fuel pump. Unable to restart the engine, he declared an engine-out emergency and made an approach to a parking lot, which terminated with a hard landing. An FAA inspector reported that the right tank was filled nearly to the tab while the left tank contained approximately 5 gallons. The pilot said he had been on the right tank for both legs of the flight. He said he switched to the left tank as he was turning final. Fueling records show the airplane had been topped off earlier that morning and had been flown 2 hours since then. The manufacturer recommends that the auxiliary electric fuel pump be on for all takeoffs and landings and when switching tanks. The second item on the 'Engine Power Loss In Flight' checklist is 'Electric Fuel Pump - On.' The pilot did not report applying carburetor heat until after the power loss occurred. The temperature was 59 degrees and the dew point was 54 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the carburetor icing probability chart, the conditions were conducive for serious icing at either cruise or climb 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, military, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,379 hours in all; 311 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1999; 386 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Concord CA at 4:45 pm
- Destination: HWD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28L, 5,024 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:28 pm from HWD
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.