Piper PA-28-161 accident near Bakersfield, California, February 20, 1993
On February 20, 1993 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9750K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bakersfield, California (Bakersfield Municipal). It was an instructional 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 OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT ATTACH BOLTS DUE TO A HARD LANDING. THE HARD LANDING WAS THE RESULT OF THE STUDENT MISJUDGING THE LANDING FLARE, AND, THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1993 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bakersfield, California · Bakersfield Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9750K · no longer on the register · serial 28-7816192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE DUAL PRIMARY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AND PERFORMED SOME AIRWORK IN A NEARBY PRACTICE AREA THEN RETURNED TO DO SOME TOUCH AND GO TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS. ON THE THIRD TOUCH AND GO LANDING ROLL, HE SAID 'I DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND FELT AND HEARD THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR 'GIVE.'' THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, PUNCTURING THE WING WITH THE STRUT. GROUND BASED WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT ON THE SECOND TOUCH AND GO PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A 'VERY NOTICEABLE HARD LANDING.' THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR WHO REPORTED THAT THE BOLTS WHICH SECURE THE LANDING GEAR STRUT TO THE WING SPAR APPEARED TO HAVE FAILED IN SHEAR.
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: 826 hours in all; 576 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 772 as pilot in command; 515 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,631 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 1993; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L45 at 4:30 pm
- Destination: L45
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from BFL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.