- Date
- January 15, 2023, 10:30, time zone not recorded
- Place
- San Diego, CA · KMYF
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9687JPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230115000499A
- Case key
- 106598
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering to another runway after the engine cowling opened shortly after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the failure of both the student pilot and flight instructor to conduct an adequate preflight inspection.
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 flight instructor reported that prior to his arrival, the student pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane. The flight instructor then visually inspected the airplane and did not observe any anomalies. On the takeoff roll, with the student pilot at the controls, the left side of the engine cowling opened just after rotation. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and reduced the engine’s power setting to relieve stress on the cowling and abort the take off. However, the flight instructor determined that “was not the solution,” applied full power to the engine and elected to initiate a turn toward an alternate runway. The airplane continued to descend and was unable to reach the alternate runway. The flight instructor landed the airplane in muddy terrain off the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane’s right main landing gear separated, and the right wing impacted the surface, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9687J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3863
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 3,025
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher Cardoza, doing business as Christopher Cardoza
- Registered owner
- N9687j LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 24, 2022
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- KTOA · Torrence, CA
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery-Gibbs Executive AIrport, runway 28L, 3,401 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 10, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,132 total · 259 in this make and model · 1,026 as pilot in command · 328 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 26 total · 25 in this make and model · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYF
- METAR
- KMYF 151753Z 29012KT 8SM SCT012 SCT055 BKN085 14/11 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP135 60000 T01390106 10144 20122 53013=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 2, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.