WPR10LA105

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-181 · Apple Valley, CA · January 8, 2010

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
January 8, 2010, 07:00 local (15:00 UTC)
Place
Apple Valley, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N29285Piper PA-28-181
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 12, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration Riverside FSDO
FAA report
20100108025929A
Case key
75252

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 loss of directional control during the landing roll and the check airman’s delayed remedial response.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-181: 37 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28-181: 53 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: sign/markerEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomePiper PA-28-181: 8 casesAll aircraft: 214 cases

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot reported that he completed five touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the last landing rollout, the airplane was traveling about 5 knots when it began to veer to the right. The pilot tried to correct by applying left rudder and left brake. The airplane continued drifting to the right and the check airman applied left brake. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and collided with a taxiway sign. The right main gear folded and the wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident examination of the airplane no mechanical anomalies with the brakes or other airplane systems were found.

Factual narrative

On January 8, 2010, about 0700 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-181, N29285, veered off the runway and collided with a sign at Apple Valley, California. Midfield Aviation was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated private pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) check pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. The local instructional flight departed Apple Valley about 0600. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot completed five touch-and-go landings on runway 18. The airplane was going about 5 knots on the last landing rollout when it began to veer to the right. The pilot tried to correct with the left rudder and left brake. The airplane continued drifting to the right, and the check airman applied left brake. The airplane departed the runway and collided with a taxiway sign. The right main gear folded; the wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. The owner of the airplane was a Federal Aviation Administration certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic. He examined the airplane after the accident, and completed the repairs. He stated that he discovered no mechanical anomalies with the brakes or other airplane systems during the repair.

Aircraft

Registration
N29285
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-7990446
Airframe hours
10,084
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Patrick Zrelak, doing business as Midfield Aviation
Registered owner
Patrick Zrelak
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · November 27, 2009 · 22 hours before
Departed
APV · Apple Valley, CA
Destination
APV · Apple Valley, CA
Airport
APV · Apple Valley, runway 18, 6,498 × 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
44
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 17, 2009
Seat
Left
Flight hours
82 total · 1 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Role
Check pilot
Age
50
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 11, 2009
Seat
Right
Flight hours
1,500 total · 500 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
36 °F, dew point 27 °F
Altimeter
30.19 inHg
Observed at
KVCV, 10 nm away

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 1, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 570 KB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.