- Date
- July 17, 1993, 10:24 local (17:24 UTC)
- Place
- Saint Johns, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N128DSSanders S-1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930717024189A
- Case key
- 28429
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 cross wind conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control of 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
Ground witnesses observed the aircraft on short final for runway 32 with a 50 degree left cross wind at 12 knots with gusts to 15 knots. The witnesses stated that on very short final, control of the aircraft seemed to be lost and it collided with a berm and a fence off the right side of the runway. The pilot said that when he arrived over the airport the UNICOM was reporting winds from 280 at 10 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that just after touchdown he 'received a hard gust from the left.' He reported that the aircraft lifted and started to move to the right, then it hit a runway light. The pilot said he applied power in an attempt to go around; however, the landing gear hit an embankment off the right side of the runway. The aircraft became airborne, hopped over a fence, rolled to the right and cart wheeled to an inverted resting position.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 1993, at 1024 Mountain standard time, a homebuilt experimental Sanders Pitts S1C, N128DS, crashed during landing at Saint Johns, Arizona, following a loss of control. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the cross country personal flight. The aircraft was destroyed in the ground collision sequence. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated at Show Low, Arizona, on the day of the mishap at about 1000 hours.
Ground witnesses observed the aircraft on short final for runway 32 at the Saint Johns airport with a 50 degree left cross wind at 12 knots with gusts to 15 knots. The witnesses stated that on very short final, control of the aircraft seemed to be lost and it collided with a berm and a fence off the right side of the runway.
In his statement, the pilot said the UNICOM was reporting winds from 280 at 10 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that just after touchdown he "received a hard gust from the left." He reported that the aircraft lifted and started to move to the right, then it hit a runway light. The pilot said he applied power in an attempt to go around; however, the landing gear hit an embankment off the right side of the runway. The aircraft became airborne, hopped over a fence, rolled to the right and cart wheeled to an inverted resting position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128DS
- Reported as
- Sanders S-1C
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 672-H
- Airframe hours
- 86
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290G, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Douglas R. Sanders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1993 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- SOW · Show Low, AZ
- Airport
- SJN · St Johns Industr'L Airprk, runway 32, 5,223 × 70 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 552 total · 92 in this make and model · 486 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.