- Date
- June 26, 1993, 12:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Fresno, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N14987Ryan ST-A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930626020449A
- Case key
- 27978
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 failure to maintain directional control. Contributing to this accident was the partial loss of power for undetermined reasons, the high runway vegetation, and the left quartering tailwind.
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 reported that the airplane sustained a loss of power and landed on an abandoned airstrip. The pilot failed to maintain directional control, exited the hard surface runway, and nosed over. The post accident examination disclosed no evidence of any preexisting powerplant, braking, and steering system malfunctions or failures. The passenger reported that he was unaware that the engine sustained a loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14987
- Reported as
- Ryan ST-A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 124
- Airframe hours
- 1,396
- Engine
- Menasco D4-87, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richards, John F & Sally B.
- Registered owner
- Richards, John F & Sally B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1992 · 35 hours before
- Airport
- Abandoned, runway 35, 1,500 × 40 ft, concrete
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,058 total · 181 in this make and model · 1,956 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 106 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.