Piper PA28R - 201T accident near Novato, California, May 27, 2014
On May 27, 2014 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA28R - 201T, registered N222RS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Novato, California (Gnoss Field). 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing roll with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2014 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Novato, California · Gnoss Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R - 201T 201T, built 1977 · all PA28R - 201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N222RS · registry record · serial 28R-7703307
- 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 about halfway down the runway the airplane encountered a dust devil, which raised the right wing and caused the airplane to skid off the left side of the runway where it impacted a berm. The airplane subsequently rotated 360 degrees to the right, coming to rest on the adjacent taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right door frame structure and the right wing spar. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane 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
- 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 Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 367 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 116 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 27, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,065 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2012; 6.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,645 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360 (piston); 2,073 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAN Nampa ID at 4:00 pm
- Destination: DVO Novato CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 22 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 9, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.