# NTSB LAX98LA099: Sweet-House RD Mustang 2, N546SH, Madera, CA, March 2, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 1, 1998, 16:41 local (Mar 2, 1998, 00:41 UTC) - Place: Madera, CA - Coordinates: 37.039901, -120.02919 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0399&lon=-120.0292&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 30039 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX98LA099 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30039/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA099 ## Probable cause The failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach, which resulted in a stall. An additional cause was the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the attempted go around. A factor in this accident is the pilot's lack of total experience in aircraft type. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, landing - flare/touchdown - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command - stall/mush - encountered, pilot in command (cause) - go-around - attempted, pilot in command - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis The pilot reported that he was on approach to runway 30. As he initiated the flare, he felt the airplane bleed off airspeed quicker than anticipated and realized that 'the aircraft was quickly starting to stall.' The pilot stated that he knew that he was too high and applied power to arrest the stall but the left wing dropped and seemed to start flying again when power was applied. The pilot then attempted to abort the landing and execute a go-around but the aircraft veered to the left off the runway. The left wingtip contacted the ground, followed by the engine and right wing. The right wing broke off at the wing splice point and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he had logged only 1 hour in this type of aircraft. ## Factual narrative On March 1, 1998, at 1641 hours Pacific standard time, a Sweet-House RD Mustang 2, N546SH, collided with terrain short of the runway 30 at the Madera, California, airport while attempting to land. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local personal flight began at 1600 and was terminating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he was on approach to runway 30. As he initiated the flare, he felt "the airplane bleed off airspeed quicker than anticipated," and realized that "the aircraft was quickly starting to stall." The pilot reported that he "knew that [he] was too high and applied power to arrest the stall [but] the left wing dropped [and] seemed to start flying again when power was applied." The pilot further reported that he then attempted to abort the landing and execute a go-around but the aircraft veered to the left off the runway. The left wingtip impacted the ground and the pilot reported that he then "had no control over the aircraft." The propeller and engine then impacted the ground and the right wing broke off at the wing splice point. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he had logged only 1 hour in this type of aircraft. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N546SH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N546SH-1998-12-17), registration cancelled 1998-12-17, S/N MII546 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Sweet-House RD MUSTANG 2 (RD MUSTANG) - Registry model: [Sweet D L/House R G MUSTANG II](https://openairdocs.org/model/sweet-d-l-house-r-g-mustang-ii) (registry code 05623AJ) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: M-11-546 - Airframe hours: 1 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Ronald Gene House - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, February 27, 1998, 1 hours before - Departed: MAE - Airport: MAE, Madera Municipal, runway 30, 4,544 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 44; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 520 total, 1 in this make and model, 450 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980301002239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980301002239A), Mar 1, 1998: Amtr MUSTANG2, Madera, CA, Substantial damage. (Tty) acft crashed beyond the departure end of the runway while attempting to land. Madera, CA. (.4) the pilot reported that he was on approach to runway 30.… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.