Yakovlev YAK N38YK

Summary

On 23 October 2016 at about 21:30 local time, a Yakovlev YAK registered N38YK was involved in an accident near Tracy, California, United States. One person was 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

23 October 2016 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Tracy, California, United States

Nearest airport

New Jerusalem (1Q4)

Coordinates

37.6733, -121.2964

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK

Registration

N38YK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1987

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Jose → Tracy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA034

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s unstabilized approach and delayed application of full throttle for a go-around, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the high-performance airplane reported that, on his third simulated forced landing, while turning left base to final in a slip, he realized that the airplane was too low and not aligned with the runway. He applied full throttle to go around. The airplane responded suddenly by changing attitude but continued to descend and impacted terrain and the airport perimeter fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot further reported that the slow airspeed coupled with the unexpected high torque from advancing the throttle during an uncoordinated left turn were factors in the accident. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.