Piper PA-28-140 N15969

Summary

On 4 December 2002 at about 20:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N15969 was involved in an accident near Phelan, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 2002 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Phelan, California, United States

Coordinates

34.5000, -117.5667

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N15969

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Apple Valley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03FA045

1 person died.

the student pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering that lead to a stall spin and impact with flat desert terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After hearing a loud engine noise, witnesses looked up and observed the accident airplane in a nose down spiral and then impact the ground. According to personnel at the flight school, the student pilot had rented the airplane for two flights, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. They stated that the morning flight was to practice maneuvers in preparation for his private pilot check ride. The flight school personnel did not know the intended purpose of the afternoon flight. Witnesses on the ground about 1/4-mile southwest of the accident site were attracted to the sound of a loud engine and looked up. The airplane was about 500 feet above the ground in a nose-down spiral that continued to ground impact. The witness did not hear or see anything unusual prior to hearing the loud engine noise. No preimpact anomalies were found during detailed airframe and engine examinations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.