Piper PA-38-112 accident near Watsonville, California, September 19, 1990
On September 19, 1990, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2516E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watsonville, California (Monterey Bay airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE STUDENT PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED TO CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S (CFI'S) INADEQUATE SUPERVISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1990
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Monterey Bay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2516E · no longer on the register · serial 38-78a0478
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TRAINING FLT, THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT LANDED THE ACFT ON A ROUGH DIRT/GRASS STRIP THAT WAS 2200' LONG. THE CFI REPORTED THAT AS THE STUDENT WAS MAKING A ROUGH FIELD TAKEOFF FROM THE STRIP, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE 'JUST BEFORE THE MIDDLE POINT OF THE RUNWAY' & 'AT THIS POINT, THE STALL WARNING BEGAN TO SOUND.' THE CFI SAID HE PUSHED THE YOKE FORWARD IN HOPES OF 'COAXING' SOME ACCELERATION, BUT THE ACFT'S SPEED REMAINED AT ABOUT 55 KTS & THE ACFT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OR CLIMB. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE ACFT REMAINED ABOUT 10' ABOVE THE SURFACE & FELT OVERWEIGHT, UNDERPOWERED & SLUGGISH. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING TO ABORT & THE CFI HOPED TO GET THE ACFT TO ACCELERATE, WHILE DSCNDG OVER A BLUFF BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY. HOWEVER, THE ACFT HIT A BUSH OR LOW TREE, THEN IT ROTATE ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS & CRASHED. THE CFI RPRTD THAT THE STALL WARNING CONTINUED TO SOUND UNTIL THE ACFT 'STARTED SLIDING DOWN THE BLUFF.' NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 730 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 635 as pilot in command; 325 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Santa Cruz Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: CA66
- Destination: WVI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 310, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.