Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 and Piper PA28 accident near San Diego, California, November 22, 2016
On November 22, 2016 at about 9:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 (N3242) and Piper PA28 (N2242W), were involved in the same accident near San Diego, California (Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the airplane stopped ahead of him during taxi.
The other pilot’s failure to see and avoid the airplane stopped ahead of him during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2016 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Montgomery-Gibbs Executive · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 NO SERIES, built 1929 · all TRAVEL AIR 4000s on the register
- Registration
- N3242 · registry record · serial 256
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper PA28 181, built 1979 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N2242W · registry record · serial 28-7990352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was cleared to taxi to the departure runway. He added that, while taxiing, he was doing S-turns to see over the nose of his airplane, and "must have missed a call to the aircraft [airplane] ahead of him," which had been instructed to hold short of the upcoming taxiway. His airplane impacted the empennage of the stopped airplane that was holding short. His airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and the stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. Both pilots reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA28 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was cleared to taxi to the departure runway. He added that, while taxiing, he was doing S-turns to see over the nose of his airplane, and "must have missed a call to the aircraft [airplane] ahead of him," which had been instructed to hold short of the upcoming taxiway. His airplane impacted the empennage of the stopped airplane that was holding short. His airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, and the stopped airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. Both pilots reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with their airplanes that would have precluded normal operation.
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 for the Curtiss Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,884 hours in all; 3,813 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 17,050 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 30, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,655 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming R-680-13 (piston); 1,282 hours total
- Operator: Aircraft Leasing & Management LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MYF San Diego CA
- Destination: MYF San Diego CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KMYF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
The factual record for the Piper PA28 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot of other aircraft
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 77.1 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 26.7 in the last 90 days; 8.6 in the last 30 days; 10.6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,531.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 13, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 7,620 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYF San Diego CA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: MYF San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA077.