# Accident 20051224030449A: Piper PA28180, Ukiah, CA, December 24, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 24, 2005, 23:05 local time
- Place: Ukiah, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9122° N, 123.0631° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9122&lon=-123.0631&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3953R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3953R-2008-12-11) (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
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 495 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06LA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA068) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051224030449A

## Narrative

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

(-23) RECEIVED REPORT OF WITNESS, WHO DRIVING SOUTH ON HWY 101 AT APPROXIMATELY 2300 HOURS, 10 MI. SOUTH OF UKIAH, CA, OBSERVED AN AIRCRAFT OPERATING BELOW A LOW CLOUD LAYER, AND THEN COLLIDE INTO TERRAIN.

## 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 LAX06LA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA068), Dec 25, 2005: Piper PA-28-180 (N3953R), Hopland, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The non-instrument rated pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions and the low clouds.

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.

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