- Date
- July 9, 1989, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hollister, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N23916Piper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890709020729A
- Case key
- 26443
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
Flight instructor's failure to take corrective action in sufficient time to prevent the airplane from striking the ground.
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 flight instructor initiated a simulated engine failure at 3500 feet above mean sea level. The student performed the emergency procedures but when he turned final he was too high to land on the runway. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and intended to make another 360 degree prior to landing. As soon as the airplane entered the bank, it stalled. The flight instructor attempted to recover by applying full power but the airplane did not return to level flight prior to striking the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23916
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A1065
- Airframe hours
- 2,048
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dunlap, Michael J
- Registered owner
- Michael J Dunlap
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 1989 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Destination
- Hollister, CA
- Airport
- Frazier Lake Airpark, runway 25, 2,500 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,100 total · 10 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.