# Accident 20000813005529A: Piper PA28180, Grass Valley, CA, August 13, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 13, 2000, 20:57 local time
- Place: Grass Valley, CA
- Airport: Nevada County Airpark
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.1804° N, 120.9809° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1804&lon=-120.9809&mi=10
- Aircraft: N16411, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N16411-2003-04-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,648 total, 1,513 in this make and model, 21 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA298) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000813005529A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT RETURNED FROM RENO AND WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED AT NIGHT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE RADIO CONTROLLED LIGHTS ON, BUT THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THEY HAD BEEN DISABLED AND NOTAMED AS SUCH. HE WENT AROUND AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND WITHOUT RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LINED UP WITH A TAXIWAY. WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED THIS HE TRIED TO MANEUVER TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT MISSED THE RUNWAY AND RAN THE AIRPLANE INTO A BERM. (.4) ON A BRIGHT NIGHT, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 07. AT THE TIME, THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT FAILED TO ATTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DESIRED RUNWAY AND LINED UP WITH A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE PILOT INCREASED ENGINE POWER ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT THE MISALIGNMENT. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN ROUGH TERRAIN NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE VEERED INTO A DITCH AND CAME TO REST AGAINST A BERM. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT, HAVING BEEN BASED THERE DURING THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS. HE INDICATED A LACK OF AWARENESS THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN RECENTLY ISSUED IN                                                       DICATING THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED FOR NIGHT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT'S AIRPLANE CONTAINED ADEQUATE FUEL TO PROCEED TO NEARBY ALTERNATE AIRPORTS.

## 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 LAX00LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA298), Aug 14, 2000: Piper PA-28-180 (N16411), Grass Valley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to attain proper alignment with the runway during approach for landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate and improper preflight planning and in-flight decision.

## Other reports on N16411 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940331011639I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940331011639I), Mar 31, 1994: Piper PA28180 (N16411), Grass Valley, CA, Minor damage. Pilot lost directional of aircraft on rollout. Left landing gear tire blew on rollout.

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.