- Date
- May 17, 1996, 12:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Kernville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N21312Piper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960517010739A
- Case key
- 29445
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 inadequate compensation for the downdraft condition and subsequent failure to maintain a proper rate of descent.
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
According to the pilot, his initial approach to runway 17 appeared normal. However, a downdraft was encountered as he crossed over the runway numbers, and the airplane made a hard touchdown. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the runway and down an embankment. The pilot reported that the local wind was from the south-southwest at 15 to 20 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 17, 1996, at 1250 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, N21312, owned and operated by the pilot, had the landing collapse while landing on runway 17 at the Kern Valley Airport, Kernville, California. The airplane slid off the runway and down an embankment. The airplane was destroyed, and the private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight which originated from Santa Monica, California, at 1150.
According to the pilot, his initial approach to runway 17 appeared normal. However, a downdraft was encountered as he crossed over the runway numbers. The pilot reported that the local wind was from the south-southwest at 15 to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21312
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7887199
- Airframe hours
- 2,700
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregory S. Garber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 1996 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Destination
- L05
- Airport
- L05 · Kern Valley, runway 17, 3,500 × 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 308 total · 215 in this make and model · 109 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N21312 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.