Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hi Desert Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Joshua Tree, California 92252
Friday, January 20, 1995 8:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE ELEVATORS DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, BUT THE REMAINING RUNWAY WAS INSUFFICIENT TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT ENTERED THE ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE HORIZONTAL 'T' BAR JAMMED AGAINST THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR HOSES. THIS JAMMING INHIBITED REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL WHEEL. THE VACUUM HOSES AND THE AVIONICS INSTALLATION BOX BRACKETS EXHIBITED NUMEROUS RUBBING AND CHAFING SIGNATURES. A 100-HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE ACCRUED 99 HOURS SINCE THE INSPECTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the operator's inadequate annual inspection by failing to find that the flight control's horizontal section of the 'T' bar was rubbing against the vacuum hoses behind the instrument panel. The jammed 'T' bar and the rough terrain were factors in this accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/20/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 845 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | JOSHUA TREE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92252 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HI DESERT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L80 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2464 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 35 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 20 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 937 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 3:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4279E |
| NTSB Number | LAX95FA082 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-38-112 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 38-78A0527 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1700 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 10 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 99 |
| Airframe Hours | 3547 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | POPPELL, GORDON H. & EDITH Y. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 72674 HATCH ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | TWENTYNINE PALM |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92277 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HI DESERT AIRPORT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5500 SUNFAIR ROAD |
| Operator City | JOSHUA TREE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92252 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 6 |
| Runway Length | 2493 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |