Piper PA-28-140 accident near Santa Paula, California, September 9, 2007
On September 9, 2007 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N1237H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Paula, California (Santa Paula 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate recovery from the bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2007 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Paula, California · Santa Paula Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1237H · registry record · serial 28-7725137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to the destination runway. While on approach, the pilot noted the airplane was excessively high, moving at a faster-than-normal airspeed. He attributed the unstabalized approach to be the result of a short downwind leg. The airplane landed hard and bounced. It subsequently veered off the runway surface and collided with a fence, coming to rest on a dirt berm. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,333 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,874 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POC La Verne CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: L52 Oceano CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,665 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KCMA
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX07CA271.