- Date
- May 6, 2023, 07:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Moorpark, CA · on a friend's ranch
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N799CPSteven Radenbaugh JA35 Superstol
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230506009049A
- Case key
- 114708
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 control of the airplane during an off airport precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight with a possible mechanical malfunction.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during a series of take offs and landings, the “A line red light” for the engine’s fuel pump illuminated, twice. Both times, he shut down the engine to reset the engine’s computer and restarted the engine. The pilot reported knowledge of a potential mechanical malfunction prior to leaving the airport environment, during the accident flight. He continued the flight to a remote area where the light illuminated again, followed by the low-pressure fuel warning light. The pilot elected to land the airplane on a deserted dirt road. While landing, the sun impeded his vision and the airplane landed beside the road, on rough terrain. During the landing roll, the airplane’s main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N799CP
- Reported as
- Steven Radenbaugh JA35 Superstol
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA622-03-21
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 150
- Engine
- Rotax 915IS, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Emerald Isle Apartments LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 1, 2023 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- KCMA · Camarillo, CA
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 1,100 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KCMA, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCMA 061355Z 05004KT 10SM CLR 12/09 A3006
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB 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.