Piper PA-28-181 accident near Apple Valley, California, January 8, 2010
On January 8, 2010 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N29285, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Apple Valley, California (Apple Valley 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll and the check airman’s delayed remedial response.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2010 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Apple Valley, California · Apple Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N29285 · registry record · serial 28-7990446
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he completed five touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. During the last landing rollout, the airplane was traveling about 5 knots when it began to veer to the right. The pilot tried to correct by applying left rudder and left brake. The airplane continued drifting to the right and the check airman applied left brake. The airplane subsequently departed the runway and collided with a taxiway sign. The right main gear folded and the wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. During a postaccident examination of the airplane no mechanical anomalies with the brakes or other airplane systems were found.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 17, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 1,100 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,084 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 27, 2009; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APV Apple Valley CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: APV Apple Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,498 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KVCV, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA105.