- Date
- March 13, 1990, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sonoma Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3765ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900313004249A
- Case key
- 26752
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 pilots inability to maintain aircraft control during a critical phase of flight after experienceing a shift in wind.
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 of a Piper PA-18 experienced a gust of wind from the rear shortly after liftoff. The pilot lost control and there was insufficcient altitude remaining for him to recover. The pilot made a landing into an irrigation ditch off the right side of the runway. The pilot reported no malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3765Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7528
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Best, William
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airport
- 0Q3 · Schellville, runway 34, 2,200 × 65 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 320 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N3765Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.