Piper PA 28-180 accident near Big Creek, California, October 24, 2013
On October 24, 2013 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA 28-180, registered N30865, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Big Creek, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to the improper installation of an oil pressure sending unit by the pilot, who was not a certificated mechanic, which resulted in a forced landing in mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2013 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Big Creek, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N30865 · no longer on the register · serial 283619
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was a co-owner of the airplane, reported to an air traffic controller about 1 hour into a cross-country flight over mountainous terrain that the engine had lost oil pressure and then power. The pilot performed a forced landing into trees. Postaccident examination revealed that the loss of engine power resulted from oil starvation due to oil leaking from a fractured fitting at the oil pressure gauge/sending unit port on the engine's rear accessory case. An oil pressure sending unit, which the pilot, who was not a certificated mechanic, had installed at this location just before the accident flight, was found dangling by its electrical wiring harness and not supported. The sending unit was not approved for installation on this airplane. It is likely that the fitting fractured because of vibration due to the sending unit's lack of support. The engine operating time between the installation of the sending unit and the fitting fracture was about 1 hour.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIH Bishop CA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: FCH Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from BIH, 44 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N30865 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.