- Date
- April 20, 2024, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Buckhorn, NM · Sacaton Airport , NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1685Bearhawk 4-Place
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240420004699A
- Case key
- 194131
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 inflight loss of control during landing following an encounter with a wind gust which resulted in a hard landing.
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 reported that he conducted a low pass over the runway to check runway and wind conditions and noted that the wind was light and variable. On the second approach to landing, while about 10 ft above the runway, a “sudden, strong wind gust hit” and airplanes nose came up abruptly. The pilot attempted to go around; however, the airplane landed hard, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions that precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1685
- Reported as
- Bearhawk 4-Place (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 030-53/54-704
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 537
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 EXP, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1N1 · Edgewood, NM
- Destination
- NM16 · Buchorn, NM
- Airport
- NM16 · Sacaton Airport, runway 08, 4,000 × 40 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,749 total · 320 in this make and model · 1,749 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 65 °F
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.
Other investigations on N1685 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.