- Date
- April 5, 2009, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sonoma, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N100VHBeech A36
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 73604
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 directional control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot departed on a local flight. He indicated that the winds were getting stronger and had shifted as he returned to the airport. He overflew the field, but the windsock still indicated that 26 was the preferred runway. He turned final at 80 knots with the landing gear and flaps down. The airplane bounced on touchdown, turned to the left side of the runway, and veered off the pavement into grass. As the airplane was slowing down through 15 knots, it encountered a drainage ditch, spun around, and ended up on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and the landing gear from one wing and the nose was sheared off. The pilot indicated that a slower approach speed might have prevented the accident. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot departed on a local flight. He indicated that the winds were getting stronger and had shifted as he returned to the airport. He overflew the field, but the windsock still indicated that 26 was the preferred runway. He turned final at 80 knots with the landing gear and flaps down. The airplane bounced on touchdown, turned to the left side of the runway, and veered off the pavement into grass. As the airplane was slowing down through 15 knots, it encountered a drainage ditch, spun around, and ended up on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and the landing gear from one wing and the nose was sheared off. The pilot indicated that a slower approach speed might have prevented the accident. In his written report, the pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N100VH
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-663
- Airframe hours
- 2,950
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John Strehl
- Registered owner
- John Strehl
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 2008
- Departed
- 0Q9 · Sonoma, CA
- Destination
- 0Q9 · Sonoma, CA
- Airport
- 0Q9 · Sonoma Skypark, runway 26, 2,480 × 40 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
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,830 total · 1,980 in this make and model · 2,830 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPC, 8 nm away
Other investigations on N100VH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.