What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 13, 2002, about 1130 mountain standard time, an experimental mcconnell Lancair 320 airplane, N320DM, contacted the runway with the left wing prior to landing and came to rest inverted in a drainage culvert at the Sedona Airport (sez), Sedona, Arizona. The airplane, operated by the owner/pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that departed the mcclellan-palomar airport (crq), carlsbad, California, at 0940. The flight was scheduled to terminate at sez. According to the airport manager, the airplane landed with a crosswind on runway 3. The left wing contacted the ground between the runway and taxiway. The pilot attempted to correct for the crosswind; however, the nose and propeller struck the ground. The airplane spun 180 degrees and slid into a drainage culvert nose first, where it spun another 180 degress before coming to rest inverted. (-23) pilot's statement: contacted san diego fss and got weather briefing for flight from carlsbad, CA to Sedona, AZ. Forecast calling for light and v ariable winds with visibility greater than 10 mi clear below 12,000. Preflighted airplane and waited for marine layer to clear at carlsbad and departed 9:40 am. Contacted socal over escondido, CA and they assigned squawk for flight following service. Pleasant flight with only a few bumps. Final hand off to albuquerque center and flew with them till airport in sight then asked for frequency change and assigned squawk 1200. Listened to Sedona AWOS and got weather wind 160 degrees @ 5-6. Called Sedona traffic about 12 miles west and announced intention to enter traffic pattern for runway 3 from the north side. (Sedona traffic normally lands uphill on RW3, take off downhill on rw 21 winds area greater than 10). Announced entering pattern and prepared airplane for landing configuration. Announced turning base leg for rw 3, then turning final for rw 3 and again on short final. Approach was normal with a few bumps. Crossed threshold and plane was descending normally - slowing down gradually- waiting for wheels to touch. Suddenly a burst of wind hit from the right side of the plane lifting the right wing. I immediately added power and attempted to neutralize the plane. The wind pushed me strongly to the left and before I could regain total control of the plane the left wing struck the ground over the infield causing the plane to rotate strongly to the left and then the prop hit and the plane skidded across the infield stopping just short of the inner taxiway. Turned off motor, ignition, short fuel valve, opened canopy and climbed out approx 11:30 am. No one hurt, no fire. Examined by EMT. Contacted FAA, NTSB, insurance. Substantial damage to plane.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 13, 2002, ABOUT 1130 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL MCCONNELL LANCAIR 320 AIRPLANE, N320DM, CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WITH THE LEFT WING PRIOR TO LANDING AND CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A DRAINAGE CULVERT AT THE SEDONA AIRPORT (SEZ), SEDONA, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE MCCLELLAN-PALOMAR AIRPORT (CRQ), CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AT 0940. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT SEZ. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER, THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH A CROSSWIND ON RUNWAY 3. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT FOR THE CROSSWIND; HOWEVER, THE NOSE AND PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SPUN 180 DEGREES AND SLID INTO A DRAINAGE CULVERT NOSE FIRST, WHERE IT SPUN ANOTHER 180 DEGRESS BEFORE COMING TO REST INVERTED. (-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: CONTACTED SAN DIEGO FSS AND GOT WEATHER BRIEFING FOR FLIGHT FROM CARLSBAD, CA TO SEDONA, AZ. FORECAST CALLING FOR LIGHT AND V ARIABLE WINDS WITH VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MI CLEAR BELOW 12,000. PREFLIGHTED AIRPLANE AND WAITED FOR MARINE LAYER TO CLEAR AT CARLSBAD AND DEPARTED 9:40 AM. CONTACTED SOCAL OVER ESCONDIDO, CA AND THEY ASSIGNED SQUAWK FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICE. PLEASANT FLIGHT WITH ONLY A FEW BUMPS. FINAL HAND OFF TO ALBUQUERQUE CENTER AND FLEW WITH THEM TILL AIRPORT IN SIGHT THEN ASKED FOR FREQUENCY CHANGE AND ASSIGNED SQUAWK 1200. LISTENED TO SEDONA AWOS AND GOT WEATHER WIND 160 DEGREES @ 5-6. CALLED SEDONA TRAFFIC ABOUT 12 MILES WEST AND ANNOUNCED INTENTION TO ENTER TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 3 FROM THE NORTH SIDE. (SEDONA TRAFFIC NORMALLY LANDS UPHILL ON RW3, TAKE OFF DOWNHILL ON RW 21 WINDS AREA GREATER THAN 10). ANNOUNCED ENTERING PATTERN AND PREPARED AIRPLANE FOR LANDING CONFIGURATION. ANNOUNCED TURNING BASE LEG FOR RW 3, THEN TURNING FINAL FOR RW 3 AND AGAIN ON SHORT FINAL. APPROACH WAS NORMAL WITH A FEW BUMPS. CROSSED THRESHOLD AND PLANE WAS DESCENDING NORMALLY - SLOWING DOWN GRADUALLY- WAITING FOR WHEELS TO TOUCH. SUDDENLY A BURST OF WIND HIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLANE LIFTING THE RIGHT WING. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO NEUTRALIZE THE PLANE. THE WIND PUSHED ME STRONGLY TO THE LEFT AND BEFORE I COULD REGAIN TOTAL CONTROL OF THE PLANE THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND OVER THE INFIELD CAUSING THE PLANE TO ROTATE STRONGLY TO THE LEFT AND THEN THE PROP HIT AND THE PLANE SKIDDED ACROSS THE INFIELD STOPPING JUST SHORT OF THE INNER TAXIWAY. TURNED OFF MOTOR, IGNITION, SHORT FUEL VALVE, OPENED CANOPY AND CLIMBED OUT APPROX 11:30 AM. NO ONE HURT, NO FIRE. EXAMINED BY EMT. CONTACTED FAA, NTSB, INSURANCE. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO PLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.