- Date
- August 11, 2013, 09:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hesperia, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7720PPiper PA-24-250
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130811014279A
- Case key
- 87753
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 failure to maintain sufficient airspeed on final approach to landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Findings · 2
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.
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 on final approach, the airplane was too low and too slow when it stalled and landed hard on the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing and fuselage were structurally damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that on final approach, the airplane was too low and too slow when it stalled and landed hard on the runway threshold. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing and fuselage were structurally damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7720P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2933
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fresquez Ronald R
- Registered owner
- Fresquez Ronald R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- El Monte, CA
- Destination
- L26 · Hesperia, CA
- Airport
- L26 · Hesperia Airport, runway 21, 3,910 × 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 200 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- VCV, 13 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 29, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB 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.
Other investigations on N7720P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.