Piper PA-28-180 accident near Paso Robles, California, March 26, 2006
On March 26, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N5906W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paso Robles, California (Paso Robles Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Paso Robles, California · Paso Robles Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5906W · registry record · serial 28-2814
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the runway surface and collapsed the nose gear during the landing roll. During landing, the airplane touched down on the runway surface and rolled about 100 feet. The airplane then weather vaned into the crosswind, making a hard left turn. The airplane continued to veer to the left and departed the runway surface, rolling into the grassy area adjacent to the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the right wing contacted terrain. Upon egressing the airplane, the pilot noted a light to moderate crosswind. An aviation routine weather report (METAR) was issued at the airport about 7 minutes prior to the accident and reported winds from 100 degrees at 11 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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: 118 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA
- Destination: PRB Paso Robles CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.