Piper PA-28-181 accident near Rialto, California, October 20, 1994
On October 20, 1994 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8760F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rialto, California (Rialto Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's loss of airplane control during the landing flare as a result of his inadequate supervision of the flight and delayed corrective action over his presolo student's control inputs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1994 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rialto, California · Rialto Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8760F · no longer on the register · serial 28-7790264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) REPORTED THAT DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT HE WAS TRYING TO TEACH HIS PRESOLO STUDENT HOW TO PERFORM A FORWARD SLIP AND LANDING. THE CFI INDICATED THAT THE STUDENT INITIATED THE ASSIGNED SLIP, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TOWARD RUNWAY 24. DURING THE APPROACH, THE CFI APPLIED CORRECTIONS TO THE AMOUNT OF PITCH HIS STUDENT WAS USING, AND AT TIMES HE ALSO MADE CORRECTIONS TO THE FLIGHT PATH. WHEN THE STUDENT INITIATED THE LANDING FLARE, HE PULLED THE YOKE UP 'FAST AND A LITTLE HIGH,' AND THE AIRPLANE STARTED DRIFTING LEFT. THE CFI STATED THAT BETWEEN 3 AND 5 SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, HE TOOK THE CONTROLS FROM HIS STUDENT AND INITIATED CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE AIRPLANE, HOWEVER, TOUCHED DOWN HARD SEVERAL FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AND HE LOST CONTROL OF IT. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE 4,500-FOOT-LONG BY 100-FOOT-WIDE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING IN AN OPEN FIELD OF WEEDS. NEITHER THE CFI NOR THE STUDENT REPORTED HAVING EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH 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, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 812 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 735 as pilot in command; 505 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Calif Intl. School Of Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: POC Bracket Field CA at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.