- Date
- April 4, 1986, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Novato, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N91301Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860404009959A
- Case key
- 25112
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
A PA-38 lost directional control during a takeoff with both the student and instructor pilot at the controls. The aircraft sustained substantial damage but both pilots were uninjured. The wind was 90 degrees crosswind at 10 knots gusting to 15 knots. The instructor stated the student was trying to steer the aircraft like a car and could have inadvertently applied opposite brake instead of rudder. The aircraft departed the runway and collided with a ditch before the instructor could take positive corrective action.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91301
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3881A0155
- Airframe hours
- 1,832
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Marin Air Service
- Registered owner
- Marin Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- 056 · Novato, runway 31, 3,300 × 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,675 total · 500 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.