Piper PA-23-160 accident near Upland, California, October 19, 2005
On October 19, 2005 at about 4:39 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-160, registered N4252P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Upland, California (Cable 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2005 · about 4:39 pm local time
- Place
- Upland, California · Cable Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160 · all PA-23-160s on the register
- Registration
- N4252P · no longer on the register · serial 23-1751
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After touchdown, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and collided with a vehicle. During the collision sequence, the airplane spun 180 degrees and its right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot said that following the airplane's touchdown on the runway, he started to apply the brakes but they felt mushy and unresponsive. He applied more and more pressure to the brakes but the airplane did not stop. As he continued to apply pressure, the airplane departed the right side of the runway and collided with a vehicle. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector examined the braking system with an aviation maintenance technician. The left brake had new linings and the brake disk was worn. The right brake linings were at a minimum and the disk was within acceptable limits. Responding law enforcement officers noted that three distinctive skid marks matching the dimensional geometry of the aircraft's landing gear were on the runway and they veered for several hundred feet off the right side of the runway and led to the impact damaged vehicle and the airplane. The skid marks corresponding to the right and left main wheels were identical in width, heaviness, and color. The FAA inspector reported that there was no evidence that either brakes had locked up during the landing.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Charter Jet, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: IFP Laughlin NV
- Destination: CCB Upland CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 3,865 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.