- Date
- March 5, 1990, 17:40 local (Mar 6, 1990, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hollister, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N144BELink VARI-EZE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900305003499A
- Case key
- 26586
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 misjudgement of altitude and distance to the runway, while on final approach to land. The sunglare 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
The pilot said he was landing on runway 24 directly into the setting sun. He noted that he was unable to see his instrument panel due to the sun glare and that he misjudged his altitude and rate of sink. Subsequently, the aircraft collided with a fence short of the threshold and cartwheeled to a stop on the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N144BE
- Reported as
- Link VARI-EZE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 46
- Airframe hours
- 26
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Link, Richard N.
- Registered owner
- Richard N Link
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1989 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- 307
- Destination
- 307
- Airport
- 307 · Hollister Muni, runway 24, 3,150 × 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
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,008 total · 26 in this make and model · 2,008 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.