- Date
- May 27, 1992, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lone Pine, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9340XCessna 182E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920527016679A
- Case key
- 27627
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 encounter with a sudden and strong quartering tailwind after landing on a short dirt runway, and the failure of the pilot to select the other airport runway, which was longer and more aligned with the wind, for the approach and landing.
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 departure end of rwy 31 is obstructed by power lines, trees and a motel. The standard procedure is to depart on rwy 13 and land on rwy 31. The first 1,000 ft of rwy 13 is covered with a chemical mixture to prevent dust. This mixture forms a crust, and, with blown sand on it, the rwy becomes slippery. While in the pattern for rwy 31, the pilot said the winds were sse at 5 to 10 knots. After touchdown the apparent ground speed increased while the indicated airspeed rapidly decreased concurrent with a right drift, indicating a sudden and strong left quartering tailwind. At the halfway point, the indicated airspeed was insufficient to go around while the poor braking action was not stopping the aircraft. The pilot said he realized the aircraft was going to over run the end of the runway and the pilot elected to turn into the tree line and collided with trees and a motel fence. A longer runway more aligned with the wind direction was available.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9340X
- Reported as
- Cessna 182E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18253740
- Airframe hours
- 6,916
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Sailplane Enterprises, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sailplane Enterprises, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 23, 1991 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- O26
- Airport
- O26 · Lone Pine, runway 31, 2,400 × 100 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,298 total · 4 in this make and model · 1,205 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N9340X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.