WPR25LA275

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-180 · Hollister, CA · September 11, 2025

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
September 10, 2025, 19:15 local (Sep 11, 2025, 02:15 UTC)
Place
Hollister, CA · Frazier Lake Airpark 1C9
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N7756NPiper PA-28-180
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 14, 2025
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
200981

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s delayed go-around from an unstabilized approach that resulted in an impact with terrain.

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.

Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-180: 7 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28-180: 10 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause

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 while on final approach to the runway, the airplane was high and fast, and he performed a slip to “get more on speed.” During the landing flare, the airplane floated significantly down the runway, and the pilot initiated a to go-around by applying full power. During the go-around, the airplanes wheels touched down about 2/3rds down the grass runway and the pilot increased back pressure, and the airplane became airborne, when he noticed that the airspeed indicated about 45 knots, and that the stall warning system light was mostly on with some intermittent flashes. The pilot stated that he thought they did not have the airspeed to fly out of ground effect and decided to abort the go around by reducing the engine power to idle after the airplane had cleared an obstacle. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard, bounced, and flew another few hundred feet before it impacted a dirt mound and nosed over. The pilot added that throughout the entire accident sequence, he had 40° flaps selected. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 05 with wind from 250° at 11 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N7756N
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-5200
Built
1968
Airframe hours
3,827.5
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · September 1, 2025 · 15 hours before
Departed
E16 · San Martin, CA
Destination
PAO · Palo Alto, CA
Airport
1C9 · Frazier Lake Airpark, runway 05, 2,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Equipment
Stall warning system, ADS-B

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
24
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 13, 2025
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
152 total · 38 in this make and model · 73 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
240° at 10 knots, gusting 16
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
68 °F, dew point 59 °F
Altimeter
29.88 inHg
Observed at
KCVH, 4 nm away
METAR
METAR KCVH 100215Z AUTO 24010G16KT 10SM CLR 20/15 A2988

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.