Piper PA-28-161 accident near Placerville, California, January 30, 2004
On January 30, 2004 at about 3:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N28385, was substantially damaged in an accident near Placerville, California (Placerville Airport). It was an instructional 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 failure to attain a proper glide path during the final approach and delayed go-around, resulting in an undershoot of the runway. The inadequate supervision of the flight and flight instructor's delayed remedial action was also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2004 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Placerville, California · Placerville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N28385 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7916409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While attempting to land, the airplane undershot the runway and collided with terrain short of the runway, shearing off the main landing gear. The student pilot was practicing night flying. While on final approach, the airplane was below the glide path and he attempted a go-around. The airplane's main gear collided with a berm located before the runway. The airplane bounced and the ELT (emergency locator transmitter) became activated. The impact sheered off the left main landing gear and the right main landing gear was still attached, but dangling from the strut. After testing the airplane's controllability, the certified flight instructor (CFI) determined it was in "flyable" condition and elected to return to the airport the flight originated from. He made a normal approach and started his rollout solely on the nose wheel. Although the airplane did not have any brakes, the airplane came to rest about three quarters of the way down the runway. The CFI did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,987 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 108 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUN Auburn CA
- Destination: PVF Placerville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.