# Accident 20210830017009A: Piper PA-24-400, Fullerton, CA, August 30, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 30, 2021, 13:45 local time - Place: Fullerton, CA - Airport: Fullerton Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.8720° N, 117.9798° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8720&lon=-117.9798&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8501P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8501P-2023-04-26) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-400 (registry code 7102408, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-400) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-720 series (registry code 41546, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-720-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-400 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-720 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 3,834 total, 2,633 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21LA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA343) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210830017009A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON AUGUST 30, 2021 AT 2045(ZULU) / 1345 (LOCAL) PST, PIPER COMANCHE (PA-24-400), BEARING REGISTRATION MARK N8501P AND SERIAL NUMBER 26-81 WAS BEING FLOWN BY PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHOM HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT RATING AND HELD A THIRD CLASS (PRIVATE) MEDICAL. THE PIC WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVALUATING THE PIC FOR CONTINUED INSURANCE COVERAGE (ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW). THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT FULLERTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KFUL), IN FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA. PIC RICHMOND AND THE CFI WERE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24, IN A RIGHT CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERN AT KFUL AFTER DEPARTING CHINO (CNO) AT 2001 (ZULU) / 12 NOON (LOCAL) PST. THE PIC WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE FULLERTON TOWER TO GO AROUND AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS APPEARED UP. ATC STATED THAT THESE INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT RESPONDED TO BY THE PIC. THE PIC STATED THAT HE HEARD THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TOWER, AND EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR. THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SETUP FOR A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24 AT KFUL, WITHOUT ANY FLAP EXTENSION. THE PIC STATED THAT HE WAS PULLING THE THROTTLE BACK PRETTY FAR TO KEEP HIS AIRSPEED DOWN. THE CFI STATED THAT HE REMINDED THE PIC THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED BUT RECEIVED NEITHER VERBAL NOR PHYSICAL RESPONSE. THE CFI RECALLED ATC STATING SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS WERE NOT EXTENDED, AND TO GO AROUND. THE CFI STATED THAT THE PIC THEN SILENTLY LOWERED THE GEAR LEVER. AT THIS POINT THE CFI STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS POINTING DOWN TOWARDS THE PERIMETER CHAIN LINK FENCE ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 24. RATHER THAN STRUGGLING WITH THE PIC OVER THE YOKE, THE CFI RECALLED THAT JUST BEFORE IMPACTING THE FENCE, HE BELIEVES THAT HE NUDGED THE YOKE BACK JUST ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE FENCE. N8501P?S PROPELLER, UNDERCARRIAGE, AND EXTENDED LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE TOP SUPPORT TUBE OF AN 8 FOOT TALL PERIMETER FENCE ALONG ARTESIA DRIVE. THE CHAIN LINK FENCE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF PROPELLER STRIKES AND LANDING GEAR ENTANGLEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO THEN MOVE INTO A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND STRUCK A MEDIUM INTENSITY APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM (MALSR) WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY INSIDE OF THE PERIMETER FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GRASSY AREA BETWEEN THE PERIMETER FENCE AND RUNWAY 24?S THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN UNCONTROLLED STATUS FOR 50 METERS IN THE GRASS, PRIOR TO CONTACTING RUNWAY MARKING LIGHTS AT THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 24. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT AN OIL STAIN IN THE GRASS FOR 25 METERS. THE AIRCRAFT PITOT TUBE, NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, AND WINDSHIELD PLEXIGLAS WERE SCATTERED FROM THE PERIMETER FENCE TO THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 24. PERIMETER FENCE MATERIAL WAS LIKEWISE SCATTERED IN THE GRASS AREA. THIS GRASS AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 50 METERS IN LENGTH. AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 METERS IN THE GRASS ON AN AZIMUTH OF 240 DEGREES, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY MARKING LIGHTS AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 24, AS EVIDENT BY PLEXIGLAS AND THE RUNWAY LIGHT IDENTIFICATION PLATE BEING TORN OFF OF THE LIGHT BASE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID UNTIL COMING TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 24 THRESHOLD. THE LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET FORWARD OF THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC RECALLS TURNING OFF AIRCRAFT POWER SWITCHES, AND REMOVING THE KEYS, PRIOR TO FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVING TO RENDER AID. THE PIC AND CFI WERE BOTH TRANSPORTED TO UCI MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE PIC SUSTAINED ABRASIONS TO HIS LEFT ELBOW AND RIGHT HAND. THE CFI RECALLS BEING IN A STATE OF SHOCK, AND WAS ABLE TO CRAWL OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT, ON TO THE RIGHT HAND WING AND AWAIT FIRST RESPONDERS. THE CFI SUSTAINED BUMPS AND BRUISES FROM THE SEATBELT. ## 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 WPR21LA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA343), Aug 30, 2021: Piper PA-24-400 (N8501P), Fullerton, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to monitor the environment and maintain a proper glidepath on approach which, resulted in a collision with the airport perimeter fence. 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.