NTSB Factual Report

On March 6, 2018 about 2230 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N33807, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following an emergency landing near Paso Robles Airport (PRB), Paso Robles, California. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the private pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to McClelland Aviation Inc. and operated by the CFI under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight originated from Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV), San Jose, California at 1900.

The CFI reported that after they executed a touch and go at PRB, and during the initial climb, they heard a "loud tick" noise and the Low Vacuum annunciator light illuminated. The CFI retracted the landing gear and instructed the pilot to retract flaps. At 350-400 ft above ground level, the airplane lost engine power and the CFI executed an emergency landing to a nearby field.

In a postcrash interview with the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-in-Charge, the CFI stated that there was 48 gallons of fuel and 6 quarts of oil on board prior to takeoff.

The following day, an Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the wreckage and noted that the oil dipstick cap was loose, and that the engine contained about 1 quart of oil. The wreckage was retained for further examination.