- Date
- April 27, 1985, 09:38 local (17:38 UTC)
- Place
- El Toro Mcas, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2860GNorth American SNJ-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850427016159A
- Case key
- 24498
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt initiated a normal takeoff & climb until the acft was over the departure end of the rwy at about 150 ft AGL with the landing gear & flaps retracted. The acft then rolled rapidly into a steep left bank, turned about 180 deg & climbed to aprx 250 ft AGL. As the acft rolled to a wings level attitude, the nose was slightly above the horizon. The acft remained in that position momentarily, then quickly rolled into a steep left bank. After about another 30 deg of heading change, the acft rolled over-the-top into a right spin. Reportedly, the spin was stopped after about 3 turns, but before recovery, the acft struck the ground in a nose down, right wing down attitude. After initial impact, the acft continued into a chapel building & burned. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. The plt possessed a waiver to fly with an amputated leg. The acft was modified so that he had full control of the rudder with 1 leg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2860G
- Reported as
- North American SNJ-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 112130
- Airframe hours
- 5,257
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Merrel Gossman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1984 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- NZJ
- Airport
- NZJ · El Toro Mcas, runway 34L, 6,310 × 250 ft, concrete
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,042 total · 498 in this make and model · 849 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NZJ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2860G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.