- Date
- June 22, 2021, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear City, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N15381Piper PA-28-235
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210622013179A
- Case key
- 103355
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 flare and subsequent loss of airplane control during an aborted landing in gusting wind, which resulted in impact with trees.
Findings · 5
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 immediately upon touchdown on runway 26, the airplane ballooned, possibly the result of an unexpected gust. As the airplane ascended, he noted the airplane drifted to the right of runway center line and he initiated a go-around. The pilot said that the airplane began a steep bank to the right as he advanced the throttle. As the wings leveled, the airplane was headed towards a tree line, and he noted that impact with trees was imminent. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and a postimpact fire destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was wind from 200° at 10 knots with gusts to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15381
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7310040
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 2,915
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-540-B4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2021 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- KCCB · Upland, CA
- Destination
- L35 · Big Bear, CA
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City, runway 26, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 269 total · 218 in this make and model · 4.4 in the last 90 days · 4.4 in the last 30 days · 0.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
- METAR
- KL35 222135Z AUTO 20010G16KT 174V254 10SM SCT120 23/00 A3027 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.0 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.