- Date
- April 30, 1989, 16:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Sierraville, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3169VBeech 35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890430010359A
- Case key
- 26395
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 attempt to land downwind on the runway and the inability to attain a climb after aborting the landing which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled descent into the ground.
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 pilot stated that the winds were out of 210 degrees at 12 KTS. A witness observed the aircraft approaching runway 03 low and fast. She stated that the main gear had just touched down on the runway when a gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing. The pilot pulled the nose up in what appeared to be a go around, however, the wing stalled and contacted the runway. The pilot reported encountering a severe downdraft while on final approach, adding full power and encountering another downdraft before colliding with the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3169V
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-602
- Airframe hours
- 3,920
- Engine
- Continental E-185-8, 206 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert J. Reffitt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 005 · Davis, CA
- Airport
- O79 · Sierraville, runway 3, 3,260 × 50 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 187 total · 13 in this make and model · 121 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.