- Date
- December 31, 1991, 17:25 local (Jan 1, 1992, 01:25 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N680JMPiper PA601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911231000039A
- Case key
- 27527
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 poorly planned approach and delay in accomplishing the proper remedial action while executing a night short field landing at an adequately lighted airport. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot to maintain the proper glide slope and the dark night light condition.
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 Aerostar 601P collided with the runway approach lights short of runway 28R. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot was unfamiliar with the airport and planned to accomplish a night short field landing on runway 28R. During final approach the pilot failed to maintain the proper glidepath and when he realized that the airplane was too low he was late in adding power. The airplane then struck an approach light with the right main landing gear. The right main landing gear collapsed during touchdown. Runway 28R is 3,408 feet long by 150 feet wide, and is equipped with high intensity runway lights, centerline lights, a category ii configuration high intensity approach lighting system, high intensity runway lights, and a simplified short approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights. The runway's approach slope angle is 3.0 degrees with a threshold crossing height of 29 feet above ground level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N680JM
- Reported as
- Piper PA601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0507-210
- Airframe hours
- 974
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5MM, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Miles, James W.
- Registered owner
- Miles, James W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 1991 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery, runway 28, 3,400 × 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 750 in this make and model · 1,050 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYF, 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.