Piper PA-28-181 accident near Dunsmuir, California, June 2, 2004
On June 2, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N39678, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dunsmuir, California (Dunsmuir Municipal - Mott 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance, which resulted in an overrun of the runway. The pilot's failure to use flaps and his landing at an airport with a runway shorter than he expected is a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dunsmuir, California · Dunsmuir Municipal - Mott · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N39678 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed, overran the 2,700-foot runway, and impacted a berm off the departure end of the runway. The pilot was conducting a cross-country flight and mistook the accident airport for her destination airport, which is nearby and has a 5,000 foot-long runway. She landed and could not stop the airplane prior to the runway's termination. Review of the airplane's landing performance chart revealed that if the pilot landed the airplane at maximum gross weight with full flaps extended, it should have stopped at the 1,100-foot mark. The pilot landed with the flaps retracted. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies with the airplane or engine.
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: 327 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 194 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 12, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 2004; 10.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,570 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A414 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVO Novato CA at 6:20 pm
- Destination: O46 Weed CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 32, 2,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
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.
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.