A report released last week by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that a Concord mechanic’s inability to install the correct piston led to an April 2004 plane crash on I-680 that severed the left leg of Arianna Jimenez, 11, a Danville resident.
The NTSB report officially lists the probable cause of the accident as “a loss of engine power due to improper maintenance repair procedures and use of improper parts.” While the mechanic was supposed to install a low compression piston in the Piper single-engine plane, he instead installed a high compression piston in only three hours, according to the report. The airplane was able to fly approximately 200 feet above the ground before the pilot reported engine failure and made an emergency landing on the highway.
After the plane careened onto the highway, it burst into flames. Although the pilot and his passenger survived the crash, the plane crashed into a minivan and seriously injured Jimenez. Her family has a lawsuit pending.
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