Beechcraft A36 N43Y

Summary

On 24 February 1993 at about 21:43 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N43Y, operated by James C. Bunnell, was involved in an accident near Santa Ana, California, United States. 6 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 February 1993 at 21:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Ana, California, United States

Nearest airport

John Wayne Orange County (SNA)

Coordinates

33.6706, -117.8994

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N43Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James C. Bunnell

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Avalon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX93LA137

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE APPROACH REFERENCE AIRSPEED. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LOW EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT SAID HE MONITORED THE ATIS WHILE INBOUND TO RUNWAY 19R AND THAT THE REPORTED WINDS WERE FROM 230 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS. WHILE ON DOWNWIND THE PILOT SAID HE OBSERVED A TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT LAND, 'NOTING THE CRAB ANGLE FOR CROSS WIND EFFECTS.' THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE LOCAL CONTROLLER PROVIDE 'GUST ADVISORIES' WHILE HE WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT SAID THAT ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY 'WE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT THAT BROUGHT US TO (THE) RUNWAY AND BACK UP TO ABOUT 40 FEET AGL.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND BUT THAT THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND NEAR THE RUNWAY EDGE AND THEN LEFT THE PAVEMENT AND RAN INTO THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAYS. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL RUNWAY SIGNS AND SHEARED OFF THE LANDING GEAR. TRANSCRIPTS OF RECORDED AIR TO GROUND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEQUENCED BEHIND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AND CLEARED TO LAND AT 1340:37. AT 1341:39, THE CONTROLLER IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FOR THE CURRENT WINDS BROADCAST 'WIND TWO FOUR ZERO AT ONE TWO.' THE OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THE WINDS FROM 270 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 15 KNOTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.