Piper PA 24-250 accident near Garberville, California, November 21, 2014
On November 21, 2014 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1961 Piper PA 24-250, registered N7428P, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Garberville, California (Garberville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive damage sustained during the collision and postaccident water immersion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2014 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Garberville, California · Garberville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24-250, built 1961 · all PA 24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7428P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2616
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a routine cross-country flight to the destination airport. The pilot had conducted this same flight once a month for the previous 5 years to serve as a community rural doctor. Numerous witnesses reported observing the airplane maneuvering toward the airport at a very low altitude just below the cloud layer. Several witnesses near the accident site stated that they did not hear any engine noise. The airplane impacted a tree about 2,260 ft short of the approach end of the runway and came to rest in a river, partially resting on a gravel/sand embankment. Following the accident, the water level quickly rose, nearly submerging the entire airframe. Although a postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures, the extent of the damage sustained during the collision and the water immersion precluded a detailed determination of the engine and fuel system preimpact condition, settings, and functionality. One of the three propeller blades was bent aft about 80 degrees near the blade root, but the other two blades were undamaged. Based on this minimal damage and the witnesses' accounts of not hearing engine noise, it is likely that the engine experienced a loss of power while the pilot was on approach to the airport. Fuel was found in the fuel lines forward of the firewall; therefore, it is unlikely that fuel exhaustion or starvation occurred. The fuel mixture cable was found disconnected from the mixture arm on the carburetor. Given the minimal damage to the mixture arm and that it was not spring-loaded to any position, it is possible that the cable became disconnected in flight and adversely affected the engine operation. However, there was insufficient evidence to determine when the cable became disconnected or whether or when it affected the engine 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 approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,115 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,932 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 9, 2013; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 4,932 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O61 Cameron Park CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: O16 Garberville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,050 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KFOT, 35 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.
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.