# Accident 20000905012299A: Amtr M18LWILLIAMS, El Cajon, CA, September 5, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 2000, 12:14 local time
- Place: El Cajon, CA
- Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.7894° N, 116.9601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7894&lon=-116.9601&mi=10
- Aircraft: N60BW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60BW-2023-04-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Williams Robert B JR WILLIAMS MITE M18L (registry code 05602UI, https://openairdocs.org/model/williams-robert-b-jr-williams-mite-m18l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR M18LWILLIAMS
- Reported engine: LYC O145*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 790 total, 100 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA325](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA325) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000905012299A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON 09-05-00, N60BW, AN AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED SEE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT TO L32. UPON RETURN TO SEE, N60BW RECEIVED PERMISSION TO EXECUTE A LOW PASS DOWN RUNWAY 17, JOINING LEFT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 27 LT. DURING THIS PASS THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER ASSY FAILED AND DEPARTED THE A/C.  THE EMERGENCY LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL, WITH NO FURTHER DAMAAGE TO A/C OR INJURIES TO THE PILOT.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED FORWARD AND AFT VERTICAL STABILIZER ATTACH POINTS EXHIBITED WOOD ROT.                               (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2000, ABOUT 1214 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A WILLIAMS MITE M18L, N60BW, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, EXPERIENCED THE IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF ITS VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER ASSEMBLIES APPROACHING THE GILLESPIE FIELD, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED FROM OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AT AN UNREPORTED TIME. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE AIRPLANE'S ENTIRE STABI LIZER AND RUDDER ASSEMBLIES SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE, AS A SINGLE UNIT. THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, AND THERE WAS A STRONG TENDENCY TO ROLL INVERTED. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR, AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 17 WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP. THE SEPARATED COMPONENTS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY LOCATED ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION EXAMINED THE COMPONENTS AND REPORTED OBSERVING EVIDENCE OF DRY ROT ON THE FRACTURE SURFACES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX00LA325](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA325), Sep 5, 2000: Williams Williams Mite M18L (N60BW), San Diego, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The separation of the airplane's vertical stabilizer and rudder assemblies, during the landing approach, because of dry rot.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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