N32258

On February 1, 2000, at 1609 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N32258, veered off the runway during landing at Santa Barbara, California, airport and subsequently struck three sets of taxiway signs. The airplane, operated by Spitfire Aviation of Santa Barbara, sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The local area flight had departed from Santa Barbara at 1545. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed.

The flight instructor stated that they were planning on practicing touch-and go landings. The student pilot had already performed one touch-and-go, which the flight instructor described as "normal." According to the flight instructor, during the accident sequence, the airplane had already touched down when it suddenly veered off to the left side of the runway. He said he took control of the airplane, but before he could regain directional control, it struck a series of three taxiway signs, causing substantial damage to the left wing and collapsing the left landing gear.