Piper PA-38-112 accident near Auburn, California, June 22, 2001
On June 22, 2001 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2572N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, California (Auburn Municipal 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
Failure of the student pilot to maintain a proper airspeed during landing, which lead to a hard landing and porpoise down the runway leading to the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2001 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, California · Auburn Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2572N · no longer on the register · serial 3879A0925
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot landed hard and the airplane porpoised down the runway, collapsing the nose landing gear, which damaged the firewall. This was an instructional flight that was terminating at home base. No discrepancies were noted with the airplane.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,700 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 14, 2001; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA at 3:07 pm
- Destination: AUB Auburn CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from BAB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N2572N 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.