Piper PA 32-301 accident near Los Angeles, California, December 18, 2013
On December 18, 2013 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1980 Piper PA 32-301, registered N8169C, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Los Angeles, California (Whiteman airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to adequately manage the fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2013 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California · Whiteman · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32-301 301T, built 1980 · all PA 32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8169C · no longer on the register · serial 32-8006016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, during the preflight inspection, he noted that the fuel gauges located on the wing tanks indicated that each tank contained about 12 gallons of fuel. After performing a run-up inspection, he completed one takeoff and full-stop landing. After taking off again, the pilot turned the airplane onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, and the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. As the airplane began to lose altitude, the pilot switched the fuel selector from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank position. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine and then maneuvered the airplane to a field to perform an emergency landing. While landing, the airplane's landing gear dug into the soft terrain, and the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in damage to the firewall. Maintenance personnel reported that, before transporting the wreckage to a storage facility, they removed about 10 gallons of fuel from the left wing tank and about 1 quart of fuel from the right wing tank; the fuel system was not breached, and no evidence of fuel leakage was found. During the postaccident examination, the engine was successfully started and run for over 5 minutes at various power settings. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
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 initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 512 hours in all; 207 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 479 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 4, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,031 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 21, 2013; 0.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WHP Los Angeles CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: WHP Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from WHP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 13, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N8169C 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.