- Date
- April 22, 1982, 15:53 local (23:53 UTC)
- Place
- Apple Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N24082Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 22, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820422010669A
- Case key
- 69798
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Witnesses observed the aircraft to be gliding on final approach with the engine at idle when it abruptly pitched nose down and struck the ground. The engine and both leading edges of the wings contacted the ground at the same time with no turning movement. Investigation disclosed no evidence of pre-impact failure of malfunction of the aircraft. The accident took place about 1/8 mile from the end of the runway and the aircraft was approximately 30 ft above ground level when the aircraft pitched nose down.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24082
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 79A1081
- Airframe hours
- 724
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Custom Aviation
- Registered owner
- Mesa Aviation Group
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- Return
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- APV · Apple Valley, runway 36, 6,500 × 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 59 total · 27 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 158 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.