- Date
- June 14, 2009, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wenatchee, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1935CClarke Colin A Glastar
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090614009019A
- Case key
- 74069
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 adequate airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.
Findings · 2
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 turned right base with the intention of landing at a grass strip adjacent to the runway. During the turn a glider reported that it was on the left downwind for the same landing area. The pilot then elected to overshoot the final turn in order to allow room for the glider to land. During the final turn, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay and the airplane began to stall. He applied full engine power, but the airplane descended and impacted the ground, collapsing the right main landing gear and causing substantial damage to the forward fuselage. No mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe were observed prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot turned right base with the intention of landing at a grass strip adjacent to the runway. During the turn a glider reported that it was on the left downwind for the same landing area. The pilot then elected to overshoot the final turn in order to allow room for the glider to land. During the final turn, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay and the airplane began to stall. He applied full engine power, but the airplane descended to ground impact collapsing the right main landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage during the accident sequence. No mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe were observed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1935C
- Reported as
- Clarke Colin A Glastar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5035
- Airframe hours
- 216
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- KEAT · Wenatchee, WA
- Destination
- KEAT · Wenatchee, WA
- Airport
- KEAT · Pangborn Memorial Airport, runway 07, 4,460 × 75 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,618 total · 225 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- KEAT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 524 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.