# Accident 19991230036979A: Piper PA32300, Fallbrook, CA, December 30, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 30, 1999, 18:20 local time - Place: Fallbrook, CA - Airport: Fallbrook Community Airpark - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3903° N, 117.2106° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3903&lon=-117.2106&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1412T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1412T-2013-08-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300 - Reported engine: LYC IO540K1A5 - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 682 total, 84 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA065) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991230036979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 30, 1999, ABOUT 1830 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32-300, N1412T, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING AT FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA. THE OWNER OPERATED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED CORVALIS, OREGON, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT HE INTENDED TO LAND AT OCEANSIDE, BUT WAS UNABLE DUE TO WEATHER. HE DIVERTED TO FALLBROOK, TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND SEPARATED THE LANDING GEAR FROM THE AIRPLANE. (-23)AT APPROX. 12:00 NOON ON DECEMBER 31, 1999, I RECEIVED A CALL AT HOME FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^CHIEF INSPECTOR AT SEA WINDS AVIATION. I AM THE POI AT SEA WINDS, A PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL. N1412T WAS BASED AT SEA WINDS WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE OCEANSIDE AIRPORT (OKB). ^PRIVACY DATA ^ ADVISED ME THAT THEIR CHEROKEE SIX N1412T HAS CRASHED AT THE FALLBROOK AIRPORT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND WAS DESTROYED. I ASKED IT THERE WERE ANY INJURIES AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. AT THAT POINT, I CALLED THE SAN DIAGO FSS TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY INFORMATION IN THIS ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD BY THE FLIGHT SERVICE THAT THEY AHD RECEIVED A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THIS ACCIDENT. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE ACCIDENT STANDBY DUTY OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA O^ ICALLED ^PRIVACY^AT HIS HOME AND LEFT A MESSAGE. (.4)ON DECEMBER 30, 1999, ABOUT 1820 HOURS PST, A PIPER PA-32-300, N1412T, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING AT FALLBROOKE, CALIFORNIA. THE OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED CORVALIS, OREGON, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME, AND MADE A STOP FOR FUEL IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, PRIOR TO CONTINUING TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR THAT HE OBTAINED THE OCEANSIDE WEATHER VIA THE ASOS AND REALIZED THE WEATHER WAS MARGINAL. HE FLEW OVER THE OCEANSIDE VOR AND PROCEEDED OUTBOUND ON THE 096-DEGREE RADIAL. HE SAID CLOUDS WERE BELOW HIM AND HE COULD NOT ALWAYS SEE THE GROUND. AS HE BEGAN HIS BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 24, HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPORT, PULLED UP, AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. HE CONTACTED THE PALOMAR AIRPORT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AND OBTAINED THEIR ATIS. PALOMAR WAS 700 FEET OVERCAST SO HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO FRENCH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, ABOUR 30 MILE AWAY. AS HE TURNED NORTH TOWARD FRENCH VALLEY, HE NOTICED THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY OF FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA, AND TUNED INTO THE AIRPORT'S COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FRQUENCY. A CESSNA WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND TOLD HIS PILOT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM SEEING THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ENTERED THE FALLBROOK LANDING PATTERN AND FLEW THE VISUAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 18. HE TURNED FINAL, NOTED HE WAS ON THE VASI (VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR), AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST. HE THEN NOTICED THE VASI LIGHTS WERE RED. HE ADDED FULL POWER AND PULLED UP, BUT STRUCK THE GROUND ABOUT 20 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, SEPARATING THE LANDING GEAR FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED TO FAA INSPECTORS THAT HE MISJUDGED THE APPROACH. ## 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 LAX00LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA065), Dec 31, 1999: Piper PA-32-300 (N1412T), Fallbrook, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's misjudged altitude and distance during a night landing approach, which resulted in an undershoot. 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.