Accident Piper PA-28-181 N81918,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 375511
 
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Date:Monday 3 March 1986
Time:00:12 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-181
Owner/operator:Aero Flight Center
Registration: N81918
MSN: 27-8090288
Total airframe hrs:796 hours
Engine model:LYCOMING O-360-A4M
Fatalities:Fatalities: / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Newport Beach, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Santa Ana, CA (KSNA)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE ACFT WAS RPRTED TO BE ON A DUAL, NIGHT RECURRENT, TRAINING FLT. THE STUDENT PLT'S WIFE RPRTD THAT THE FLT INSTRUCTOR(CFI) & HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN DRINKING BEER BEFORE THEY & THE PASSENGER (ANOTHER STUDENT PLT) DEPARTED ON THE FLT. GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT FLY VERY LOW OVER A PIER AT NEWPORT BEACH, THEN ENTER A RGT CLIMBING TURN. AS THE ACFT CONTINUED THE TURN, IT BEGAN A DESCENT & SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED THE OCEAN, CARTWHEELED & SANK. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A NOSE LOW, RGT WING LOW ATTITUDE. TOXICOLOGY EXAMS REVEALED THE STUDENT HAD A BLOOD/ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.11%, BUT ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL (0.02%) WAS FOUND IN THE CFI'S BLOOD. TESTS FOR DRUGS SHOWED THE STUDENT HAD 0.32 MICROGRAMS/ML OF BENZOYLECGONINE IN HIS BLOOD. ALSO, IN 1 OF 2 TESTS FOR COCAINE, THE STUDENT'S BLOOD TESTED POSITIVE. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PASSENGER FOR ALCOHOL & DRUGS WERE NEGATIVE. THE CFI HAD ONLY 392 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX86FA131
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX86FA131

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Mar-2024 20:43 ASN Update Bot Added

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