- Date
- May 4, 2006, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Death Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N160SEIndus T211
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060504007709A
- Case key
- 63650
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and collision with terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane collided with terrain about 1,300 feet short of the runway. The pilot extended the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to allow for adequate separation at his destination airport. While turning onto final approach he extended the flaps to the 20-degree position and reduced the airspeed to 60 miles per hour (mph). As the airplane approached the runway the pilot noted that he was too close to the ground with too slow of an airspeed. He applied full power but the airplane settled toward the terrain. The pilot noted no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The airplane collided with terrain about 1,300 feet short of the runway. As the airplane entered the vicinity of the destination, the pilot opted to circle the gravel airstrip to assess the wind conditions. He noted the landing strip was sloping, comprised of gravel, and measured about 1,300 feet long by 50 feet wide. The windsock indicated calm wind conditions and he decided to land upslope following an airplane ahead. The pilot extended the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to allow for adequate separation and configured the airplane with 10 degrees of wing flaps.
As the pilot turned onto final approach he further extended the flaps to the 20-degree position and reduced the airspeed to 60 miles per hour (mph). As the airplane approached the runway the pilot noted that he was too close to the ground with too slow of an airspeed. He applied full power but the airplane settled toward the terrain, impacting about 1,300 feet short of the runway.
The pilot noted no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N160SE
- Reported as
- Indus T211
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 016
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- BIH · Bishop, CA
- Destination
- Death Valley, CA
- Airport
- NONE · Saline Valley Landing Zone, runway 05, 1,300 × 50 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 244 total · 23 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.