No fatalities

20 Dec 2024: PIPER PA-28RT-201T — SARGEANT MICHAEL C — Placerville, CA

Placerville, CA, United States

On 20 Dec 2024, a PIPER PA-28RT-201T operated by SARGEANT MICHAEL C was involved in an aviation accident near Placerville, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate descent rate during the landing approach, which resulted in an impact with terrain short of the runway threshold. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate descent rate during the landing approach, which resulted in an impact with terrain short of the runway threshold.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotDescent rate — Not attained/maintainedAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedContributed to outcome