Incident Details
On April 3, 2017, about 2200 Pacific daylight time, a Piper 28-140 airplane, registration N55339, made an emergency landing in a trucking yard near Whittier, California, following a loss of engine power. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Temecula, California, at an unknown time and was destined for San Diego, California.
The trucking yard was located 61 miles northwest of the departure airport, while the intended destination was 60 miles south of the departure airport.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported to local law enforcement that while flying at 1,000 ft, the airplane's engine lost power, and he executed an emergency landing in a large trucking yard. During the landing, the airplane's left wing struck a stop sign. The pilot was unininured. The airplane's left wing was substantially damaged.
Witness Account
A witness reported hearing a "loud weird noise" coming from the sky, then observed the airplane, with no lights on, coming from the south area of the parking lot. The airplane struck a stop sign and dragged it along the ground until coming to a rest. The witness approached the airplane to check on the pilot; during their conversation, the pilot appeared very distraught at times, then suddenly acted as if nothing had happened, with emotions switching back and forth.
Pilot Condition and Toxicology
Local law enforcement officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the pilot's breath and person. His eyes were bloodshot, red, and watery. He was slurring and mumbling his words and was unable to stand. On-scene officers conducted a standardized field sobriety test, which the pilot failed. He was subsequently arrested for operating an aircraft while under the influence. A formal blood test, administered about 5 hours after the accident, revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16%.
Federal Aviation Regulations Section 91.17(a) prohibits any person from acting or attempting to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having 0.040 gm/dL or more alcohol in the blood.
Aircraft Examination
A sergeant from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Aero Bureau examined the airplane and found the fuel selector set to the right fuel tank. When the master electrical switch was turned on, the right fuel gauge indicated empty, and the left fuel gauge indicated between 0 and 5 gallons. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the fuel tanks and reported they were intact and undamaged.
The NTSB and FAA were unable to contact the pilot despite numerous attempts. The pilot did not submit the required NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.