- Date
- April 7, 1997, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Knights Landing, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N87770Aero Commander 100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970407005259A
- Case key
- 29760
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 minimum control airspeed during the approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain directional control after landing.
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 was landing for the first time at a 1,500-foot-long duster strip, and stated that because of the shortness of the runway and the potential for automobile cross traffic at the other end, he attempted a short field landing. However, the approach end of the runway had a dirt berm across it and it was hard to judge the height. As he approached the berm he added power to clear it, but the plane stalled about 6 to 7 feet agl and landed hard. It bounced and turned left colliding with a metal storage shed.
Factual narrative
On April 7, 1997, at 1130 hours Pacific daylight time, an Aero Commander 100, N87770, was substantially damaged during landing at a private airstrip 1 mile north of Knights Landing, California. The aircraft was being operated by the owner/pilot and he was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Concord, California, at 1050.
The pilot was landing for the first time at a 1,500-foot-long duster strip. He departed from a 4,400-foot-long runway at his home base, and stated that because of the shortness of the runway and the potential for automobile cross traffic at the other end, he attempted a short field landing. However, the approach end of the runway had a dirt berm across it and it was hard to judge the height. As he approached the berm he added power to clear it, but the airplane stalled about 6 to 7 feet agl and landed hard. The airplane bounced and turned left colliding with a metal storage shed. The pilot reported the winds were calm at the time of the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87770
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 328
- Airframe hours
- 2,243
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Billy J. Boydstun
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1997 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- CCR · Concord, CA
- Destination
- NONE · CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE · Sun Rise Dusters, Inc
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 42 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Observed at
- KSM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.