Piper PA-22-160 accident near Tracy, California, March 25, 2025
On March 25, 2025 at about 5:12 pm local time, a 1958 Piper PA-22-160, registered N9528D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tracy, California (Tracy Muni airport). 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2025 · about 5:12 pm local time
- Place
- Tracy, California · Tracy Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-160, built 1958 · all PA-22-160s on the register
- Registration
- N9528D · registry record · serial 22-6444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he was conducting a few practice landings before continuing a cross-county flight. During the landing roll of the second landing, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot stated that they overcompensated to the left, right, and back to the left before the airplane ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 30 with wind from 120° at 3 knots.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 65 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 22, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,074 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 26, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 3,074 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRB Paso Robles CA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 am from KMOD, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMOD 251615Z 12003KT 4SM BR FEW001 14/13 A2998 RMK AO2 T01440133
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR25LA121.