Ryan NAVION N5291K

Summary

On 23 March 2003 at about 20:50 local time, a Ryan NAVION registered N5291K was involved in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 March 2003 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Mammoth Lakes, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mammoth Yosemite (KMMH)

Coordinates

37.6239, -118.8408

Aircraft

Ryan NAVION

Registration

N5291K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Furnace Creek → Rio Linda

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA118

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. A factor was the gusty crosswind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane veered off the runway during the landing roll and collided with terrain and high vegetation. At 1152, the airport's airport automated weather observation station (AWOS) was reporting winds at 200 degrees, 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported that the airport advisory conditions relayed to him over the CTAF were winds of 250 to 270 degrees, 15 knots gusting to 25 knots, and runway 27 was in use. The pilot also observed the airport windsock showing winds from the west/northwest. During the landing sequence, and after the landing gear contacted the runway, the pilot experienced a "substantial and unexpected gust of wind" from the southerly direction. The left wing raised and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The pilot applied rudder and aileron to compensate before deciding to attempt a go-around. The airplane continued to rise in level flight before he "experienced a sensation of downward force." The airplane came to rest in sagebrush approximately 210 feet north of the parallel taxi way.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.