Piper PA-28-140 accident near Coalinga, California, August 6, 1999
On August 6, 1999 at about 3:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6814W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coalinga, California (New Coalinga airport). 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 flight instructor's failure to maintain a sufficient airspeed to compensate for the known wind shear condition, which resulted in a failure to maintain runway alignment and a hard landing. The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight was also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1999 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Coalinga, California · New Coalinga · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6814W · no longer on the register · serial 28-20951
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During prior portions of the flight, the flight instructor observed that there was a strong crosswind from 330 degrees at 10 knots at pattern altitude, while the ASOS and windsocks were showing calm winds on the surface. The instructor and student then initiated a simulated forced landing to runway 30. On final approach, the student was adequately correcting for the crosswind until the airplane descended through 150 feet agl where they experienced a wind shear and the student had difficulty controlling the airplane. About 40 to 60 feet agl, the flight instructor took over the flight controls and initiated a go-around, but the airplane touched down hard on the runway and drifted left off the pavement. The flight instructor maneuvered the airplane further left to avoid a concrete pipe culvert and then collided with the PAPI lights. The airplane came to rest about 1,500 feet from the approach end of the runway. He reported that he had not experienced any problems with the aircraft or engine prior to the accident. Postcrash examination did not reveal any mechanical problems with the engine or airframe.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 245 in the last 90 days; 99 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,990 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLG at 2:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 300° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from FAT, 48 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.