Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

March 3, 2023 · Piper PA-28-180 · N9375J

San Andreas, CA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
March 3, 2023
Injury Outcomes
2 injuries (2 minor injuries)
Location
San Andreas, CA
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-180 (1966)
Tail Number
N9375J
Operator
Cfi Academy
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR23LA121

The airplane had recently undergone extensive maintenance; the accident flight was a return leg to the pilot’s home airport after having flown the first leg earlier in the day. The initial departure was normal, and when reaching about 300 ft above ground level (agl), the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot performed an off-airport landing, and the airplane impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The carburetor was replaced two days before the accident; the examination did not find anomalies with the carburetor. There was no fuel found in the carburetor bowl, but it could not be determined if that was the condition at the time of impact or if the fuel system could deliver metered fuel to the engine. While the FAA's Carburetor Icing Chart revealed the probability of serious icing between cruise and glide power for the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the investigation could not conclusively determine that carburetor ice caused the loss of engine power.

NTSB Probable Cause

Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Power plant-(general)-Unknown/Not determined

Full Narrative

On March 3, 2023, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, N9375J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Calaveras County Airport, San Andreas, California. The pilot and co-pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that the airplane had recently undergone extensive maintenance. He stated that earlier in the day, he and the co-pilot departed from Lodi, California, their home airport. That flight was the first flight after maintenance, and they performed a series of maneuvers along the way. After landing in San Andreas, they took a 20-25 minute break, and intended to fly back to Lodi. The pilot performed a preflight inspection and engine runup with no anomalies noted. He then configured the airplane for a soft-field takeoff and extended the flaps to 25°, noting “everything seemed and sounded normal.” The initial departure was also normal; however, when reaching about 300 ft agl the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot performed an off-airport landing and impacted terrain hard. A review of the maintenance records provided revealed that the airplane’s carburetor was replaced with a new factory-remanufactured carburetor two days before to the accident. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors performed both on-scene and follow-up examinations. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was largely intact with minimal damage. There was mainly crush deformation to the engine firewall. The magneto switch was set to "both." The master switch and fuel selector were reportedly both turned off after pilot and passenger extrication. The fuel quantity in the left wing was about four gallons but due to the tilt of the airplane at the accident site the exact amount could not be determined. The fuel quantity in the right wing could not be determined. A sample of fluid from the wings revealed uncontaminated blue liquid consistent in odor and coloration with that of 100LL AVGAS. The engine was intact, though its mount showed deformation. The propeller remained attached, with one blade showing minor deformity near the tip and another bent consistent with ground impact. There was no evidence of propeller rotation upon impact, with a single half-arc mark visible where the airplane came to rest. An external visual examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact catastrophic mechanical malfunction or fire. The top spark plugs were removed; no mechanical damage was noted, and the electrodes and posts exhibited a light ash gray coloration, which corresponds to normal operation according to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart. The ignition harnesses were attached from both magnetos and their respective spark plugs. The magnetos were found securely clamped at their mounting pads. The magnetos were removed and rotated by hand. Spark was produced at each lead. The crankshaft was rotated by hand utilizing the propeller. The crankshaft was free and easy to rotate in both directions. Thumb compression was observed in proper order on all four cylinders. Normal lift action was observed at each rocker assembly. Clean, uncontaminated oil was observed at all four rocker box areas. Mechanical continuity was established throughout the rotating group, valvetrain and accessory sections during hand rotation of the crankshaft. The fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the inlet side of the carburetor was removed and revealed no signs of fuel. The carburetor float bowl drain plug was removed and revealed no fuel. It could not be determined if the fuel had evaporated after recovery. There were no anomalies found with the carburetor. The carburetor icing probability chart from FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, shows that at the temperature and dew point reported at the time of the accident, the conditions were bordering between the probability of serious icing at glide power and at cruise power.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:30 PST
Nearest AirportCalaveras County-Maury Rasmuss (0nm ENE)
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-28-180
Tail NumberN9375J
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorCfi Academy
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-390-A3A · Reciprocating
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary2 injuries (2 minor injuries)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor2
Uninjured0
Total2
Crew 1Age 48 · Second Class · Minor
Crew 2Age 33 · First Class · Minor

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind210° @ 6 kt, gusting 12 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55 F / 37 F
Altimeter29.97 inHg
Observation Time13:15
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data