- Date
- May 8, 1993, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Reedley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4149JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930508012739A
- Case key
- 28379
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
A failure of the pilot to maintain proper runway alignment and improper remedial action during the balked landing. A factor in the accident was a lack of total aeronautical experience.
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 non-certificated student pilot was conducting touch and go landings at an uncontrolled airport. The pilot touched down with an excessive crab angle. The pilot attempted a go-around and suddenly applied full throttle. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and struck the airport's tetrahedron.
Factual narrative
On May 8, 1993, about 1230 hours, Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N4149J, crashed during landing on runway 33 at Reedley Municipal Airport, Reedley, California. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) local area solo instructional flight. The airplane, operated by Philip Evans, dba Kings Canyon Aviation, Reedley, California, sustained substantial damage. The noncertificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Reedley Municipal Airport at about 1200 hours.
An Operations Inspector, Federal Aviation Administration, Fresno Flight Standards District Office, reported that the pilot touched down on runway 33 with an excessive crab angle. The pilot suddenly applied full throttle in an attempted go-around. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and struck the airport's tetrahedron. The airplane received damage to the landing gear, wings, and fuselage.
The pilot was issued a student pilot/third class medical certificate on September 29, 1992. The pilot received a solo endorsement on October 20, 1992. The medical certificate contains the limitation that the pilot must wear correcting lenses for distant vision and possess glasses for near vision while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate. According to the pilot/operator report submitted by the pilot, his total aeronautical experience consists of about 44.4 hours, of which 25.7 were accrued in the accident airplane make and model. In the preceding 90 and 30 days prior to the accident, the report lists a total of 14.2 and 8.2 hours, respectively flown.
The closest official weather observation station is Fresno, California, which is located 15 nautical miles northwest of the accident site. At 1330 hours, a surface observation was reporting in part: Sky condition and ceiling, clear; visibility, 20 miles; temperature, 74 degrees F; dew point, 42 degrees F; wind, 360 degrees at 10 knots; altimeter, 29.89 inHg.
Reedley Municipal Airport is equipped with one hard surfaced runway on a 150/330 degree magnetic orientation. Runway 33 is 3,300 feet long by 50 feet wide, and is equipped with medium intensity runway lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4149J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-22474
- Airframe hours
- 2,941
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Phillip R. Evans
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 26, 1993 · 33 hours before
- Airport
- O32 · Reedley, runway 33, 3,300 × 50 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 26 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 15 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 N4149J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.