Piper PA-28-161 accident near San Carlos, California, June 30, 1994
On June 30, 1994 at about 6:33 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N4359C, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Carlos, California (San Carlos 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
the student pilot's attempt to exit the runway at an excessive taxi speed which resulted in his loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1994 · about 6:33 pm local time
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N4359C · registry record · serial 28-8416088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing solo takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern. The controllers instructed the pilot to expedite turning off the active runway due to traffic on short final. The pilot attempted to turn off at a high-speed diagonal exit and was too fast to make the turn onto the taxiway. The aircraft then collided with three parked aircraft.
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: 56 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,361 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 1994; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SQL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SQL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:37 pm from SQL
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.
Other NTSB records under N4359C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.