Piper PA-28-161 accident near Panamint Spring, California, November 25, 2005
On November 25, 2005, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8091H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panamint Spring, California. 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 improper in-flight selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2005
- Place
- Panamint Spring, California · 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
- N8091H · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a trailer after landing in a fire break clearing (fire line). The pilot misidentified the fire line as her intended destination airport. The fire line surface was rough and rocky and about 4/10-mile long. During the landing the left wing struck a parked RV trailer and the force of the impact separated the left wing from the fuselage. The wreckage came to rest in the dirt on the left side of the fire line. The pilot's intended destination airport was actually 40 miles farther to the east.
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: 265 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-G4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Universal Air Academy
The flight
- Departed from: KEMT El Monte CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: L09 Stovepipe Wells CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.