Piper PA-12 accident near Santa Ana, California, December 31, 2007
On December 31, 2007 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N2800D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne - Orange County 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 failure of the student to maintain directional control during landing and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2007 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne - Orange County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N2800D · registry record · serial 12-1637
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving dual instruction from the flight instructor for the purpose of receiving a tail wheel endorsement. He had accumulated a total of 7 hours tail wheel instruction in the accident airplane. The flight instructor reported that during the landing roll, the airplane yawed to the right and entered a ground loop which collapsed the left main landing gear.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,784 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,303 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Destination: SNA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 2,887 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SNA
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.