N8120H

On March 15, 1993, at 1900 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8120H, collided with the terrain during the termination of a power off forced landing near Vacaville, California. The power off forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during takeoff climb. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. The airplane was being operated by Navajo Aviation of Concord, California, and was rented by the pilot for the personal flight. The airplane departed Vacaville about 1845 hours and was destined for Concord, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed.

An FAA safety inspector examined the airplane on scene and interviewed the pilot. The pilot said he was in a climb after takeoff at an altitude of about 1900 feet mean sea level when the engine began to sputter and lose power. He said that he changed fuel tanks and turned on the fuel pump. He reported the engine lost total power. He said he made a forced landing in a valley. The pilot reported to the FAA safety inspector that the airplane's left wing "hit first, followed by the tail and the fuselage." The pilot said the airplane caught fire after it came to a stop.

Inspection of the airplane by the FAA safety inspector revealed the airplane's fuselage was completely destroyed by fire. He reported that the propeller was "close to being undamaged except for a slight aft bend of one of the prop blades and heavy nicks on the other blade." He further reported that with the exception of the carburetor, all engine accessories were destroyed by fire.

The engine was removed from the airplane and transported to Sacramento, California, for further examination.

The engine was examined on March 30, 1993, under the supervision of an FAA airworthiness safety inspector. The FAA safety inspector reported that no pre-existing deficiencies were noted during the engine examination and that the examination did not reveal a reason for the reported power loss.