Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fresno Air Terminal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fresno, California 93726
Tuesady, April 30, 1991 20:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A PIPER PA 38-112 COLLIDED WITH A SIGN POST AFTER A LOSS OF CONTROL ON RUNWAY 29R. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED LEFT DURING THE LANDING FLARE AND TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE NOSE 20 DEGREES LEFT OF CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED OUT ACROSS THE RUNWAY SHOULDER AND STRUCK A SIGN POST WITH THE RIGHT WING. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED, 'I MADE AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT IN DEPARTING WITH SUCH STRONG FORECASTED WINDS. THE GREATEST ERROR WAS IN JUDGING THAT I WAS CAPABLE OF HANDLING THOSE WINDS.' THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 322 DEGREES AT 25 KNOTS GUSTING TO 29 KNOTS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS DURING THE LANDING TOUCHDOWN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY WHILE ANALYZING THE FORECAST WINDS DURING PREFLIGHT PLANNING, AND THE STRONG WIND CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED DURING HIS LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/30/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2000 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | FRESNO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93726 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FRESNO AIR TERMINAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FAT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 332 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1950 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 332 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 322 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 25 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 29 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 980 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44841 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2578L |
| NTSB Number | LAX91LA189 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 38-112 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA 38-112 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 79A0768 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 26 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 2920 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GOLDEN EAGLE ENTERPRISES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4885 E. SHIELDS #201 |
| Aircraft Owner City | FRESNO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93726 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GOLDEN EAGLE ENTERPRISES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4885 E. SHIELDS #201 |
| Operator City | FRESNO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93726 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BFL |
| Departure City | BAKERSFIELD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1938 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 9222 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |