Piper PA28 accident near Hemet, California, August 22, 2019
On August 22, 2019 at about 6:24 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA28, registered N16435, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hemet, California (Hemet-Ryan 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control while attempting to go around, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2019 · about 6:24 pm local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet-Ryan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 180, built 1973 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N16435 · registry record · serial 28-7305254
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that the airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway. He added right rudder, but the airplane did not respond quickly enough, so he added power to perform a go-around. The airplane then exited the runway to the left, impacted a ditch, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The student added that, after the accident, his instructor told him he could have used the right brake to aid in directional control. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 48.5 hours in all; 48.5 in this make and model; 18.5 in the last 90 days; 12.5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,334 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA at 6:24 pm
- Destination: HMT Hemet CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,315 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from KRIV, 15 miles away
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.
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 GAA19CA508.