Piper PA-28-180 accident near Fallbrook, California, December 7, 2007
On December 7, 2007 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N44528, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fallbrook, California (Fallbrook Community Airpark 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 misjudged distance and altitude that led to an undershoot and a failure to obtain the proper touchdown point.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 7, 2007 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Fallbrook, California · Fallbrook Community Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N44528 · registry record · serial 28-7405256
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on approach for landing, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The pilot attempted to arrest the sink rate by applying full power; however, the airplane landed hard and short of the runway, damaging surrounding vegetation and a runway edge light. After the hard landing the pilot was able to get the airplane airborne again and he decided to return to his home base airport. During the flight back to his home airport the left wheel and strut fell from 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,428 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 3,112 as pilot in command; 2,456 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,868 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2007; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Destination: Fallbrook CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,160 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; ovct at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from CRQ, 14 miles away
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.