Piper PA-22-108 accident near Frazier Park, California, July 8, 2011
On July 8, 2011 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N4901Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Frazier Park, California. It was a personal 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 pilot’s geographic disorientation, which resulted in an off-airport precautionary landing in soft terrain and a subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2011 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Frazier Park, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N4901Z · registry record · serial 22-8486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the flight, he was following an interstate highway and that he then turned west to intercept a state highway and head toward his destination. He was flying about 1,000 feet above mountainous terrain when he became lost and disoriented while trying to navigate using maps and GPS. He then thought that the airplane was losing altitude. Subsequently, he concentrated on the terrain rather than direction, decided to make an off-airport landing, and landed the airplane in a dry river bottom. During the landing roll, the nosewheel dug into soft dirt, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident engine and airframe examinations revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of charts › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Geographic disorient (lost) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,325 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2011
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 5,325 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LSN Los Banos CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: LPS Lompoc CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KSBA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.