- Date
- January 20, 1990, 19:35 local (Jan 21, 1990, 03:35 UTC)
- Place
- Coalinga, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2572YPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900120000799A
- Case key
- 26722
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 misjudgement of distance and altitude to the runway, while on final approach, which resulted in his failure to attain the proper touchdown point for landing. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, haze, and soft terrain in the area where the aircraft touched down.
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 landed short of the runway after rolling out on final during a night landing. He stated that he got too low and realized it was too late to add power, so he maintained a landing attitude and landed in a recently plowed field. There were no mechanical difficulties.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2572Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David G. Roe
- Departed
- O36 · Tracy, CA
- Destination
- 308 · Harris Ranch, CA
- Airport
- 308 · Harris Ranch, runway 32, 2,820 × 30 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 88 total · 12 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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.
Other investigations on N2572Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.