N8068J

On April 8, 2006, at 1220 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA 28-181, N8068J, bounced during landing and separated the nose landing gear while landing at Harris Ranch Airport, Coalinga, California. Air Desert Pacific was operating the privately registered airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot departed from Chino Airport, Chino, California, at 1000, and was landing at his destination airport when the accident occurred.

In a telephone interview following the accident, the pilot stated that the airplane touched down on runway 32 and bounced. As the airplane returned to the runway surface it impacted hard and the nose landing gear separated. The pilot stated that the accident was purely operational and there were no mechanical malfunctions.

This accident was upgraded from an incident after verification of the airplane damage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector on August 30, 2006. The inspector reported that the firewall was bent during the accident sequence. There had been no attempt by the operator to remove the airplane from Harris Ranch Airport, and was presumed abandoned by airport personnel.

According to the Chino airport manager, Air Desert Pacific ceased operations at Chino airport in April 2006.