- Date
- September 9, 2007, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1237HPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070909018649A
- Case key
- 66643
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 pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate recovery from the bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control.
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 entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to the destination runway. While on approach, the pilot noted the airplane was excessively high, moving at a faster-than-normal airspeed. He attributed the unstabalized approach to be the result of a short downwind leg. The airplane landed hard and bounced. It subsequently veered off the runway surface and collided with a fence, coming to rest on a dirt berm. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
Factual narrative
In a written report, the pilot stated that while en route, he noticed his GPS was inoperative and decided to divert to a nearby airport. As he approached the vicinity of the airport, he noted that other traffic was utilizing runway 22, and accordingly entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg. While on the approach, the pilot could discern that the airplane was excessively high and at a faster-than-normal airspeed, which he believed was a result of his decision to make a short downwind leg. The airplane landed hard and bounced twice, veering off the runway surface. It continued forward and collided with a fence, coming to rest upright on a dirt berm.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including the damage to a wing that would require a major repair.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1237H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7725137
- Airframe hours
- 1,874
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2007
- Departed
- POC · La Verne, CA
- Destination
- L52 · Oceano, CA
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula Airport, runway 22, 2,665 × 60 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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,333 total · 86 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KCMA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.