- Date
- June 27, 2008, 21:25 local (Jun 28, 2008, 04:25 UTC)
- Place
- Groveland, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N331HPBeech F33/G
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080627840649A
- Case key
- 68335
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 inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions and failure to maintain proper alignment at touchdown resulting in a side load on the landing gear, which caused them to collapse.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During the landing flare, a crosswind gust blew the airplane off the runway centerline path. The airspeed was too low to perform a go-around, so the pilot attempted to regain the runway centerline. The airplane touched down while moving laterally, and the landing gear became side loaded and collapsed. The airplane slid off the runway and stopped.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he performed a landing approach to runway 9 at Pine Mountain Lake Airport. During the landing flare, a wind gust blew the airplane off the runway centerline flight path. The airspeed was too low to perform a go-around, so he attempted to regain the runway centerline. The airplane touched down while moving laterally, and the landing gear became side loaded and collapsed. The airplane exited the runway and stopped. The wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported gusts of 10 knots at the accident site. The pilot indicated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N331HP
- Reported as
- Beech F33/G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE1334
- Airframe hours
- 1,301
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-520-BB, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- ZPlane, LLC
- Registered owner
- Z Plane LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2007
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- E45 · Groveland, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- E45 · Pine Mountain Lake Airport, runway 9, 3,625 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 1,454 total · 1,161 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- MOD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.