Piper PA-24-180 accident near Corona, California, November 2, 2002
On November 2, 2002 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N5129P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corona, California (Corona Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged landing flare. Also causal were the pilot's improper bounced landing recovery procedures and inadvertent swerve, resulting in the landing gear collapsing from overload.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2002 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Corona, California · Corona Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5129P · no longer on the register · serial 24-142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following an unstabilized approach, the private pilot landed the airplane hard in a nose low attitude and bounced. Thereafter, the pilot was unsuccessful in his recovery efforts and lost control of the airplane as it bounced again. The airplane swerved off the runway overloading the landing gear until it collapsed. The pilot was a ground school instructor, did not hold a certified flight instructor certificate, and was flying from the right seat. The airplane's owner, who also held a private pilot certificate, occupied the left seat. The owner indicated that his ground school instructor's handling of the airplane's controls from the right seat was problematic, and he almost lost control of the airplane during takeoff. During a subsequent approach for landing, the instructor flew the airplane a little low and fast. Upon touchdown the airplane veered to the right with the right edge of the runway well under the right wing. The instructor applied left rudder while pulling the nose up. The stall warning buzzer activated, and the instructor lowered the nose abruptly, striking the runway with the nose wheel. The airplane bounced and veered off the runway. A professional pilot, who witnessed the accident airplane's final approach, reported that the approach looked unusual and was not stabilized. The airplane appeared to dive toward the runway and was descending fast. The wings rocked and the airplane yawed. The airplane contacted the runway with its nose and right main wheels first. It then bounced about 20 feet into the air and yawed right. Then it yawed left and contacted the runway with its left main wheel and nose wheel. It bounced again and continued turning left. The airplane contacted the ground for the third and last time while in a left wing low attitude.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 259 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 31, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AJO Corona CA at 1:25 am
- Destination: AJO Corona CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from CNO, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.