Piper PA-28-140 accident near Tehachapi, California, April 18, 2007
On April 18, 2007 at about 2:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N8168N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tehachapi, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's VFR flight into IMC and his ensuing failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the cloudy weather conditions and the mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2007 · about 2:28 pm local time
- Place
- Tehachapi, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8168N · no longer on the register · serial 28-25364
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a VFR cross country flight over mountainous terrain, the airplane encountered deteriorating weather conditions. Weather satellite images show clouds in the vicinity of the accident site, with mountain waves just south of it. The surface chart indicated that a cold front was moving through the area. A resident in the vicinity of the accident site reported that on the morning of the accident, the weather was bad and he was unable to see the top of the mountain. Radar data indicated that the airplane was flying a constant altitude and course during its last three minutes of recorded flight. The last radar return was about one nautical mile short of the impact site, which was located on rugged mountainous and heavily forested terrain. There were no witnesses to the accident. No evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was noted during the post accident inspections.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,981 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2007; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCH Fresno CA at 1:30 pm
- Destination: WJF Lancaster CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 18 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; ovct at 700 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from SDB, 22 miles away
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.