Reid-Hillview Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Jose, California 95133
Saturday, December 5, 1987 9:55 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SEVERAL MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT NOTED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE & ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. AS HE WAS RETURNING, THE ENG BEGAN TO OVERSPEED, BUT HE CONTROLLED THE RPM BY RETARDING THE THROTTLE. THE WIND WAS FROM 150 DEG AT 10 KTS. THE PLT WAS CLRD TO ENTER TRAFFIC FOR RWY 13L, BUT HE ELECTED TO LAND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WITH A TAIL WIND. WHILE ON A SHORT FINAL APCH TO LAND ON RWY 31R, THE ACFT BALLOONED & THE PLT DECIDED TO GO AROUND. DRG THE GO-AROUND, THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A UTILITY POLE, THEN CRASHED INTO A MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING & BURNED. OIL RESIDUE WAS FND ON THE LEFT SIDE & BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED THE #4 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED. ONLY ABOUT 1/2 PINT OF OIL WAS FND IN THE ENG. DUE TO IMPACT & FIRE DAMAGE, THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF OIL WAS NOT DETERMINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/5/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 955
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SAN JOSE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95133
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport REID-HILLVIEW
Event Location Nearest Airport ID RHV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 310
Airport Elevation 133
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 957 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID RHV
Elevation of weather observation facility 133
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2272
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 5 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1145
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35910
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 3:03PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9309N
NTSB Number DEN88FA033
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28R-200
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28R-200
Aircraft Serial Number 28R35009
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 30 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 56
Airframe Hours 3285
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHRISTOPHER J. VERBIL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 792 FERNDALE COURT
Aircraft Owner City SAN JOSE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95133
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code RHV
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 930
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 308
Destination City COALINGA
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 31R
Runway Length 3101
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --