- Date
- April 12, 1996, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Independence, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1008RRockwell 112TCA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960412007139A
- Case key
- 29417
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 wind conditions. The wind was a factor.
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
According to the pilot, he encountered a downdraft when he was 100 feet above ground level, and 200 feet from the approach end of runway 23. The pilot reported that, to arrest the sink, he applied full throttle and reduced the flap setting from 25 degrees to 20 degrees. However, the airplane was close to the ground and impact occurred before he could stop the descent. The airplane impacted a fence prior to coming to rest about 180 feet short of the runway. At the time of the accident, the pilot estimated that the wind was from 230 degrees at 30 knots, with gusts to 40 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 12, 1996, at 1245 hours Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International, 112TCA, N1008R, owned and operated by the pilot, collided with terrain on short final approach to the Independence Airport, Independence, California. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private pilot was not injured during the business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Bishop, California, at 1230.
According to the pilot, he encountered a downdraft when he was 100 feet above ground level, and 200 feet from the approach end of runway 23. The pilot estimated that the wind was from 230 degrees at 30 knots, with gusts to 40 knots.
The pilot reported that, to arrest the sink, he applied full throttle and reduced the flap setting from 25 degrees to 20 degrees. However, the airplane was close to the ground and impact occurred before he could stop the descent. The airplane impacted a fence prior to coming to rest about 180 feet short of the runway. No mechanical malfunctions were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1008R
- Reported as
- Rockwell 112TCA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13259
- Airframe hours
- 1,881
- Engine
- Lycoming TO-360-C1A6D, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lawrence L. Morton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1995 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- BIH · Bishop, CA
- Destination
- 207
- Airport
- 207 · Independence, runway 23, 1,610 × 30 ft, dirt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 261 total · 110 in this make and model · 217 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 30 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.