Piper PA-18-150 accident near Herald, California, November 8, 2001
On November 8, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N9461P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Herald, California (Private airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's delay initiating a go-around during a downwind approach to a short runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Herald, California · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9461P · registry record · serial 18-7509133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted trees at the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported he was practicing approaches to landings and then going around without landing. The airstrip on his ranch was 800 feet long and there was a 6-knot quartering tailwind. His third approach was too far down the runway and when he added power to go around, "The power was not there. The aircraft was mushing. I pushed the stick forward in order to get the plane to fly, but to no avail. The aircraft hit the trees at 10 [feet] above ground level." Elsewhere on the report form, in the section entitled "Mechanical Malfunction Failure" he checked the box "no."
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 5, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2001; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming o-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1O3 Lodi CA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Herald CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SAC, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9461P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX02LA023.