Beechcraft A36 N100VH

Summary

On 5 April 2009 at about 18:15 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N100VH, operated by John Strehl, was involved in an accident near Sonoma, California, United States. 2 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

5 April 2009 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Sonoma, California, United States

Nearest airport

Sonoma Skypark (0Q9)

Coordinates

38.2578, -122.4344

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N100VH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John Strehl

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sonoma → Sonoma

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09CA180

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a local flight. He indicated that the winds were getting stronger and had shifted as he returned to the airport. He overflew the field, but the windsock still indicated that 26 was the preferred runway. He turned final at 80 knots with the landing gear and flaps down. The airplane bounced on touchdown, turned to the left side of the runway, and veered off the pavement into grass. As the airplane was slowing down through 15 knots, it encountered a drainage ditch, spun around, and ended up on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and the landing gear from one wing and the nose was sheared off. The pilot indicated that a slower approach speed might have prevented the accident. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.