- Date
- June 19, 1994, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hesperia, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N250CHPayne Foster Glasair
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940619015429A
- Case key
- 28780
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 loss of directional control during an attempted landing and subsequent go-around. Factors were the high-density altitude, inappropriate fuel leaning procedures, and the gust of 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 aircraft collided with the ground and a parked aircraft off the right side of runway 21 after the pilot experienced a gust of wind during the approach. During the attempted go-around, the aircraft veered across the runway and collided with another parked aircraft that was being refueled. In addition to the gust of wind, the pilot stated to an FAA witness that he forgot about the density altitude and leaning the fuel mixture.
Factual narrative
On June 19, 1994, about 1145 hours Pacific daylight time, a Payne Foster Glasair, N250CH, collided with two parked aircraft after a bounced landing on the right shoulder of runway 21 at the Hesperia Airport, Hesperia, California. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated in Fresno, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on scene at the time, the pilot experienced a gust of wind and was forced to the right of the approach end of the runway where the left wing collided with the ground. The pilot applied full power in an attempt to go-around. The aircraft flew over and collided with a Cessna 310 (unoccupied) that was parked on the right side of the runway, inflicting minor damage to the right elevator.
The aircraft remained airborne and proceeded down the runway. It then veered left across the runway toward the refueling area and collided with a Cessna 172 (N770LW) that was refueling.
The FAA inspector said the pilot related to him during the rescue that he did not remember to compensate for density altitude; forgot to lean the fuel mixture for better performance; and, he was caught by a gust of wind at the end of the runway.
The temperature at the time was estimated by the pilot to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit with the winds from the southeast at 20 knots. The weather observation at Daggett (about 40 miles to the northeast) was 96 degrees and winds from 050 degrees at 7 knots.
The pilot stated in his accident report that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N250CH
- Reported as
- Payne Foster Glasair
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 250
- Airframe hours
- 370
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcintosh, Richard Laverne
- Registered owner
- Rodney A. Foster
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- FCH · Fresno, CA
- Destination
- DAG · CA
- Airport
- L26 · Hesperia, runway 21, 3,910 × 50 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 130 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAG, 40 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.
Other investigations on N250CH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.