- Date
- April 30, 1991, 20:00 local (May 1, 1991, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2578LPiper PA 38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910430014009A
- Case key
- 27186
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-in-command's failure to maintain directional control and inadequate compensation for wind conditions during the landing touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command's overconfidence in his ability while analyzing the forecast winds during preflight planning, and the strong wind conditions that existed during his landing.
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 Piper pa 38-112 collided with a sign post after a loss of control on runway 29R. The pilot failed to maintain directional control and the airplane yawed left during the landing flare and touched down with the nose 20 degrees left of centerline. The airplane then rolled out across the runway shoulder and struck a sign post with the right wing. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane before the accident. The pilot stated, 'I made an error in judgement in departing with such strong forecasted winds. The greatest error was in judging that I was capable of handling those winds.' The winds at the time of the accident were reported to be from 322 degrees at 25 knots gusting to 29 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2578L
- Reported as
- Piper PA 38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 79A0768
- Airframe hours
- 2,920
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Golden Eagle Enterprises
- Registered owner
- Golden Eagle Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 26, 1991 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- BFL · Bakersfield, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FAT · Fresno Air Terminal, runway 29, 9,222 × 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 370 total · 115 in this make and model · 325 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 322° at 25 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 1 nm away
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 N2578L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.