- Date
- August 5, 1989, 15:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Parker Dam, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5070HCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890805027399A
- Case key
- 26468
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 delay in making a go-around, and his failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during the aborted landing. The runway/terrain condition was a related factor.
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
After arriving over lake havasu, the plt noted that he still had about 2 hrs before he was to be met by friends. He decided to fly along the lake for some sight-seeing. He spotted a small airstrip which was closer to his ultimate destination & he elected to land. The plt said he entered the pattern for the south bound runway & touched down in a normal position. Just after touchdown, he noticed a 'rain erosion depression' across the dirt airstrip. He aborted the landing & proceeded with a go-around. At that point, he saw a large rock hill at the departure end of the runway. The plt said that at the rate the acft was climbing it would not clear the hill & he began a left turn to avoid the rising terrain. During the turn, the left wing hit the ground & the acft crashed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5070H
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18287858
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Budincich, Michael N.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EMT · El Monte, CA
- Airport
- NONE · Lake Havasu Palms, runway 18, 3,000 × 30 ft, dirt
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 267 total · 109 in this make and model · 204 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 108 °F
- 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.