- Date
- June 21, 1991, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3573XPiper PA 28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910621023449A
- Case key
- 27254
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 use of an excessive airspeed for the final approach, and the failure of the pilot to initiate a go around when it became apparent that the aircraft would land long on the runway. A factor in the accident was the limited total experience of the student pilot.
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 student was on her third solo cross country flight. She stated in a telephone interview that the approach angle during the landing attempt at Auburn seemed normal, however, her speed was too high. The aircraft touched down about one third of the way down the 3,100 foot long runway and she said that just after touch down she realized that insufficient runway remained to stop the aircraft. The pilot stated that she applied power to attempt a go around, however, the aircraft did not get airborne and it collided with ground obstructions off the departure end of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3573X
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8016194
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Petaluma Aeroventure
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 069 · Petaluma, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AUN · Auburn, runway 25, 3,100 × 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 32 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N3573X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.