# Accident 19990805011119A: Piper PA28140, Coalinga, CA, August 5, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 5, 1999, 20:15 local time - Place: Coalinga, CA - Airport: New Coalinga Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.1893° N, 120.3909° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1893&lon=-120.3909&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6814W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6814W-2013-05-02) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140 - Reported engine: LYC O320E3D - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 245 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA265](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA265) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990805011119A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (TTY) ACFT CRASHED DURING LANDING. (.19) ON AUGUST 5, 1999, AT 2015 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N6814W, LOST CONTROL DURING FINAL APPROACH AND SUBSEQUENTLY VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AT THE NEW COALINGA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, COALINGA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT, RENTED FROM AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE COMMERCIAL RATED CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOR THE STUDENT PILOT WERE INJURED. THE LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND ORIGINATED FROM THE COALINGA AIRPORT ABOUT 1915. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE PRACTICING A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING TO RUNWAY 30. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG GUSTY CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT, ALTHOUGH THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SERVICE (AWOS) ON THE FIELD WAS REPORTING CALM WINDS. HE REPORTED THAT THE THREE WINDSOCKS ON THE AIRPORT ALSO INDICATED CALM WINDS. ABOUT 75 TO 100 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT THE STUDENT WAS SUDDENLY HAVING DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE WIND CONDITIONS SO HE TOOK THE CONTROLS FROM THE STUDENT. ABOUT 30 TO 50 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE COUGHED ONCE THEN QUIT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 700 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 30, THEN VEERED LEFT APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES OFF THE RUNWAY HEADING AND COLLIDED WITH THE PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) LIGHTS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE STEERED THE AIRPLANE TO AVOID A CULVERT TO THEIR LEFT AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO TOE BRAKES AVAILABLE ON THE HIS SIDE IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 30. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT FLYING AROUND THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRCRAFT. (.4)DURING PRIOR PORTIONS OF THE FLIGHT, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG CROSSWIND FROM 330 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS AT PATTERN ALTITUDE, WHILE THE ASOS AND WINDSOCKS WERE SHOWING CALM WINDS ON THE SURFACE. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT THEN INITIATED A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING TO RUNWAY 30. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE STUDENT WAS ADEQUATELY CORRECTING FOR THE CROSSWIND UNTIL THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH 150 FEET AGL WHERE THEY EXPERIENCED A WIND SHEAR AND THE STUDENT HAD DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRPLANE. ABOUT 40 TO 60 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE RUNWAY AND DRIFTED LEFT OFF THE PAVEMENT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE FURTHER LEFT TO AVOID A CONCRETE PIPE CULVERT AND THEN COLLIDED WITH THE PAPI LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME. (-23) THE INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT WERE ON A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT AT THE COALINGA, CA. AIRPORT. AFTER PERFORMING GROUND REFERENCE MANUEVERS, THEY RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR SIMULATED EMERGENCY ENGINE OUT LANDING PRACTICE. ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT THE STUDENT WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE WIND. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER AND ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND. THE ENGINE COUGHED AND WOULD NOT COME UP TO FULL POWER. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 30 AND EXITED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TO THE WEST. IT IMPACTED THE RIGHT PAPI LIGHT AND PAPI POWER SUPPLY. IT CAME TO REST ABOUT 1200 FT. FROM TOUCHDOWN AND 100 FT. TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE UNCOVERED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX99LA265](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA265), Aug 6, 1999: Piper PA-28-140 (N6814W), Coalinga, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's failure to maintain a sufficient airspeed to compensate for the known wind shear condition, which resulted in a failure to maintain runway alignment and a hard landing. The… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.