- Date
- December 29, 2001, 15:49 local (23:49 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4390SPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flt Stnds Dist. Office
- FAA report
- 20011229034069A
- Case key
- 53967
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind, and his failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing roll.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported he approached the 150-foot-wide runway with "crosswind correction," on center, and aligned with the runway. The runway was wet following a rain shower. As the airplane got close to the runway a left drift developed. The pilot attempted to lower the right wing to arrest the drift; however, the airplane touched down on both main landing gear about the same time. The airplane began a "severe slip" toward the left edge of the runway and, although the airplane was aligned with the runway, it traveled sideways. The pilot maintained crosswind correction and stopped the airplane. He was notified later that the left wing had been damaged by a taxiway sign. He reported there was no mechanical malfunction. In a weather observation taken 7 minutes after the accident, the surface wind was variable at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
On December 29, 2001, at 1549 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N4390S, struck a sign during landing at Long Beach/Dougherty Field, Long Beach, California. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The local area instructional flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Long Beach Flying Club, and departed about 1530. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
In his report to the Safety Board, the pilot reported he approached runway 25L (5,420 feet long by 150 feet wide, asphalt) with "crosswind correction," on center, and aligned with the runway. The runway was wet following a rain shower. As the airplane got close to the runway a left drift developed. The pilot attempted to lower the right wing to arrest the drift; however, the airplane touched down on both main landing gear about the same time. The airplane began a "severe slip" toward the left edge of the runway and, although the airplane was aligned with the runway, it traveled sideways. The pilot maintained crosswind correction and stopped the airplane. He was notified later that the left wing had been damaged by a taxiway sign. He also reported there was no mechanical malfunction.
Long Beach weather at 1556, was 5,000-foot broken ceiling with 10 statute mile visibility. The surface wind was variable at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4390S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8516031
- Airframe hours
- 8,371
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Long Beach Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Dale Goss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 15, 2001 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach/Dougherty Field, runway 25L, 5,420 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 50 in this make and model · 36 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- LGB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.