- Date
- February 24, 1993, 13:43 local (21:43 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ana, CA
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N43YBeech A36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930224003379A
- Case key
- 27938
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 inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions and his failure to maintain an adequate approach reference airspeed. Factors in the accident were the pilot's low experience in the aircraft.
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 monitored the ATIS while inbound to runway 19R and that the reported winds were from 230 degrees at 12 knots. While on downwind the pilot said he observed a twin engine aircraft land, 'noting the crab angle for cross wind effects.' The pilot stated that he did not hear the local controller provide 'gust advisories' while he was in the traffic pattern. The pilot said that about 50 feet above the runway 'we encountered a strong downdraft that brought us to (the) runway and back up to about 40 feet AGL.' The pilot reported that he attempted to go around but that the aircraft contacted the ground near the runway edge and then left the pavement and ran into the grass area between the runways. The aircraft collided with several runway signs and sheared off the landing gear. Transcripts of recorded air to ground radio communications revealed that the aircraft was sequenced behind another aircraft and cleared to land at 1340:37. At 1341:39, the controller in response to a request by another aircraft for the current winds broadcast 'wind two four zero at one two.' The official weather observation taken immediately after the accident reported the winds from 270 degrees at 10 knots with gusts to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43Y
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-576
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James C. Bunnell
- Registered owner
- Thomas D. Evans
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- AVX · Avalon, CA
- Airport
- SNA · John Wayne Orange County, runway 19, 5,700 × 150 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 11 in this make and model · 281 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNA, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.