LAX05CA142

The airplane veered off the runway and collided with a runway light during landing. The pilot had landed his airplane in a crab with a left 20-degree 15-knot crosswind. He said his efforts at redirecting the airplane away from the light were not successful and the airplane collided with the runway light. The pilot had departed from the airport about 45 minutes before the accident. At the time of his departure, the wind was essentially the same as when the accident occurred.

On April 21, 2005, about 1630 Pacific daylight time, a Rankin, Quickie Q2, N8337F, veered off runway 26L during landing at the Chino Airport, Chino, California. The experimental-homebuilt airplane collided with a runway light and was substantially damaged. The commercial certificated pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Chino about 1545.

The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that after departure he intended to fly to San Andreas, California. After flying for several minutes he observed that the quantity of fuel in the airplane's header tank was low. The pilot turned on the fuel transfer pump, but this action did not resolve the problem. Therefore, the pilot reversed his course and returned to Chino.

The pilot indicated that he followed the air traffic controller's instructions, made a straight-in approach, and landed on the designated runway. The pilot further reported that his landing was very smooth, and he evidently touched down while in a crab. Seconds thereafter, the pilot observed his decreasing proximity to a runway light on his left side. The pilot attempted to redirect the airplane away from the light, but his action was inadequate. Upon impacting the light, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and it spun around coming to rest on the runway pointed in the opposite direction.

Chino's reported weather at 1630 was, in part, as follows: wind from 240 degrees at 15 knots; visibility 8 miles; and sky clear. At 1530, about 15 minutes before the pilot departed on the accident flight, the airport's wind was reported from 240 degrees at 14 knots.

Chino's runway 26L is 7,000 feet long and 150 feet wide.

The pilot said the original builder deregistered the airplane in February 1994. The pilot purchased the airplane in September 2004, but had not yet registered it with the FAA.