- Date
- April 22, 1989, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N97169Stinson 108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890422009689A
- Case key
- 26386
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 downdrafts he encountered and the delay in his decision to perform a go-around.
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
While on final approach the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane lost altitude and the pilot opted to go-around. A right turn was made, during which the airplane lost more altitude and collided with the terrain. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot of Cessna that landed immediately before N97169 stated that the UNICOM operator reported possible downdrafts on final approach. While on final the pilot did encounter these downdrafts but was able to land successfully.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97169
- Reported as
- Stinson 108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-169
- Airframe hours
- 1,995
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-150-B3, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Waterman, David K.
- Registered owner
- Waterman, David K
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 8, 1988 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- CNO · Chino, CA
- Airport
- AVN · Catalina, runway 22, 3,240 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 459 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.