Piper PA38 accident near Grass Valley, California, November 10, 2020
On November 10, 2020 at about 11:40 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA38, registered N6380A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Grass Valley, California. 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 total loss of engine power due to the pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2020 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Grass Valley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA38 112, built 1978 · all PA38s on the register
- Registration
- N6380A · no longer on the register · serial 38-78A0404
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the day of the accident, the pilot departed on a flight that included two full stops and touch-and-go landings at a third airport. During the first stop, he fueled the airplane and conducted an hour-long flight before departing on the accident flight leg, which was about 80 minutes in duration. While flying over an area of heavily wooded terrain, the pilot reported a total loss of engine power to air traffic control. The pilot then made a series of descending turns, likely searching for a forced landing site, which were limited due to the terrain and vegetation. During the approach to his selected landing site, the airplane collided with a tree before it impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector was set to the left tank, which was void of fuel, and there was no evidence that fuel had leaked from the left tank while the airplane was inverted. About 5 gallons of fuel was drained from the right tank during recovery. There was no evidence of any preimpact anomalies with the fuel system. Although water contamination was observed in the gascolator bowl during postaccident examination, the airplane had been subjected to frequent rain for several months during storage following the accident with the left-wing fuel cap removed; it is therefore unlikely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel contamination. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot failed to switch fuel tanks during the flight, which resulted in the exhaustion of the fuel supply in the left-wing tank and a subsequent total loss of engine 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
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 380 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 5, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,293.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2020; 33.4 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-235-L2C (piston); 2,293 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O61 Cameron Park CA at 6:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KGOO, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGOO 102335Z AUTO 23003KT 10SM CLR 11/M05 A3013 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
26 documents, released by the NTSB on May 11, 2022. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.