Piper PA-38-112 accident near Healdsburg, California, July 29, 1988
On July 29, 1988 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N91352, was substantially damaged in an accident near Healdsburg, California (Healdsburg Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
SOLO STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE THE STALL SPEED DURING THE GO AROUND ATTEMPT, THEREBY LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND STALLING AND MUSHING UNTIL COLLIDING WITH A TREE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1988 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Healdsburg, California · Healdsburg Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N91352 · no longer on the register · serial 38-82A019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT WAS ON HER THIRD SUPERVISED SOLO AND HAD COMPLETED TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. SHE STATED THAT ON HER LAST APPROACH, WHICH WAS TO BE A FULL STOP, THE ACFT WAS LOW AND SLOW, SO SHE DECIDED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND. SHE APPLIED FULL POWER AND RAISED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT MUSHED INTO A TREE & CRASHED IN A VINEYARD.
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: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,629 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 22, 1988; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Redwood Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,707 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.