- Date
- September 14, 1995, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mariposa, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N360EZSjostrand Wheeler Express
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950914029849A
- Case key
- 29218
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 premature rotation and liftoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent hard touchdown.
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 this was the first flight of the newly constructed aircraft. After liftoff, the aircraft experienced an unexpected departure stall and settled to the runway from about 12 feet. The aircraft touched down hard and collapsed the nose and left main landing gear.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 1995, about 1600 Pacific daylight time, a Sjostrand Wheeler Express homebuilt experimental airplane, N360EZ, collided with the runway following a loss of control during the takeoff initial climb at Mariposa, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot, and was beginning a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported that this was the first flight of the newly constructed aircraft. After liftoff, the aircraft experienced an unexpected departure stall and settled to the runway from about 12 feet. The aircraft touched down hard and collapsed the nose and left main landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N360EZ
- Reported as
- Sjostrand Wheeler Express (WHEELER EX)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- SJ2146
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-ES1B, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald D. Sjostrand
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1995 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- O68
- Airport
- 068 · Mariposa Yosimite, runway 26, 3,310 × 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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.