Piper PA 28 accident near Van Nuys, California, September 24, 2015
On September 24, 2015 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1981 Piper PA 28, registered N8258S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to compensate for turbulence during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2015 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28 161, built 1981 · all PA 28s on the register
- Registration
- N8258S · no longer on the register · serial 28-8116024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during the landing, as he began to flare, the airplane was, "hit with the first blast of wake turbulence", from a helicopter that was hovering on the helipad to the left of the runway. The airplane landed hard, exited the runway to the right, and collided with a runway sign. According to the meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report (METAR) at the airport, the temperature was 99 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was variable at 4 knots. The helicopter pad was located over 400 feet to the east of the location that the pilot reported encountering the blast of wake turbulence. Due to the distance of the helicopter pad from the event location, the ambient temperature, and lack of significant wind, it is likely the student pilot encountered thermal related turbulence on short final.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High temperature › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 116.5 hours in all; 106.4 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 13.8 in the last 30 days; 22.3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,916 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 4, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 2,350 hours total
- Operator: Skyward Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 8:45 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16L, 4,013 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from VNY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8258S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.