# Accident 20180831012709A: Piper PA-28-181, Porterville, CA, August 31, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2018, 10:30 local time
- Place: Porterville, CA
- Airport: Porterville Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0294° N, 119.0628° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0294&lon=-119.0628&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8172N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8172N) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (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 PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,455 total, 113 in this make and model, 29 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA18CA579](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA579) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180831012709A

## Narrative

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

ON 08/31/2018, THE PIC AND HER PASSENGER WERE CONDUCTING A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WERE LANDING FOR FUEL AT PORTERVILLE AIRPORT, PORTERVILLE CA. DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION, THE PILOT DESCRIBE THE EVENT AS SUCH. WHEN ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE PIC ASKED HER PASSENGER TO OBSERVE THE WINDSOCK AND LET HER KNOW WHAT THE WIND WAS DOING. HIS REPORT WAS THAT THE WIND WAS VARIABLE AND THAT THE WIND SOCK WAS NOT STABLE BUT CHANGING DIRECTIONS CONTINUOUSLY. THE PIC THEN STATED THAT THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL UP UNTIL THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNCOMMANDED TURN TO THE RIGHT, SEEMED TO HAVE ACCELERATED AND, HEADED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE MISALIGNMENT AND ULTIMATELY, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND CONTACTED RUNWAY MARKING SIGNS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY THE METAL RUNWAY SIGNS, BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CRASH SEEN TO DOCUMENT THE EVENT FOR THEIR OWN RECORDS. DURING THIS TIME, THEY STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED TWO OR THREE ?DUST DEVILS? IN THE VICINITY OF THE RUNWAY. ALSO NOTED, WAS THAT WHILE FACING THE APPROACH AND OF THE RUNWAY TO OBTAIN PICTURES, THEY FELT A STRONG GUST OF WIND IN THEIR FACE. LEADING THEM TO BELIEVE THAT THEY MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED A TAIL WIND WHILE ON THEIR LANDING ROLL-OUT. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF AN AIRCRAFT SYSTEM CONTRIBUTING TO THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS NOT SURE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT A LOCAL MECHANIC HAD PERFORMED A BRIEF INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND STATED THAT THE ?RIGHT? BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED MUSHY.

AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, AIRPORT PERSONNEL MOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE INFIELD AREA TO THE PARKING AREA. NEITHER THE NTSB NOR THE FAA WERE EVER FORMALLY NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE INVESTIGATING A SEPARATE OCCURRENCE AT THE SAME AIRPORT, CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND OBTAINED BASIC INFORMATION FROM THE AIRCRAFT. UNTIL THE DATE OF DISCOVERY, STAFF FROM OUR OFFICE HAD ONLY HEARD REPORTS OF MORE THAN ONE ACCIDENT AT THE SAME AIRPORT, OVER THE SAME WEEKEND, THREW LOCAL NEWS REPORTS. THEREFORE, IT TOOK SUBSTANTIAL TIME TO LOCATE AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE REGISTERED OWNER AND THE PILOT WHO WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 GAA18CA579](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA579), Aug 31, 2018: Piper PA28 (N8172N), Porterville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

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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