What happened
On June 9, 2019, a Piper PA28-151, registration N7943C, crashed into the San Joaquin River near Antioch, California. The pilot, who had received his private pilot certificate only nine days prior, was flying the aircraft to build experience for future instrument training.
Radar data indicates the flight departed from Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) in Concord, California. After an initial climb, the aircraft flew toward a practice area previously used during the pilot's flight training. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of approximately 5,300 feet mean sea level before beginning a descent. During this phase, the aircraft performed a 360-degree descending turn, eventually reaching an altitude of 2,100 feet.
Witnesses near the accident site observed the aircraft performing maneuvers near the water's surface, noting a strained and variable engine sound. They reported seeing the airplane "performing tricks" before it impacted the water in a nose-low attitude at high speed. The accident resulted in 1 fatality.
The investigation
Search and rescue teams located the wreckage on the river bottom at a depth of approximately 20 feet. Recovered components included the engine, empennage, aft fuselage, left wing, left aileron, left flap, fragments of the right wing, both main landing gear, the firewall, and portions of the interior.
An examination of the recovered wreckage found no mechanical failures or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. Additionally, other pilots who had rented the same aircraft earlier that day reported no issues with the plane's performance.