- Date
- July 31, 1989, 10:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Oceanside, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2933DPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890731025929A
- Case key
- 26459
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to attain proper airspeed during the go-around. The lack of airspeed did not permit the airplane to climb and the pilot intentionally stalled the airplane into the trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot delaying the go-around after he misjudged the touchdown point.
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 witness indicated the airplane was about half way down the runway when the pilot initiated a go-around. He said the flaps appeared to be in the full up position, and the nose was very high and the airplane appeared to be mushing. The pilot stated he had full throttle but the airplane would not climb. He said that when he realized he was not going to be able to climb over the trees, he pulled the power off and stalled the airplane into the bushes and trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2933D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7916550
- Airframe hours
- 2,447
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul W. Searby
- Registered owner
- Searby, Paul
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 18, 1989 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- L32
- Airport
- L32
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 307 total · 23 in this make and model · 248 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.