Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ward Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gasquet, California 95543
Sunday, April 3, 1994 10:41 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported she circled the field to determine the prevailing winds and to select a landing runway. After observing the windsocks, she estimated the wind to be from 060 degrees at 8 knots, which she believed favored runway 06. She then established the aircraft on final approach, planning to land long. While on final, she extended full flaps and stabilized the airspeed at 60 knots. As the aircraft descended to about 40 feet AGL just past the approach end, a gusting right crosswind caused the aircraft to be 'pushed' off its approach path. The pilot said she attempted to correct her direction of flight and applied full power. However, due to her reduced airspeed and full flap configuration she said she was unable to establish a positive rate of climb in time to avoid some 30 to 40 foot trees about 30 yards off the left side of the runway. As a result, the left wing of the aircraft struck a tree, causing the aircraft to yaw and fall through the trees to the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE CROSS- WIND CONDITIONS, AND TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/3/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1041 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | GASQUET |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95543 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WARD FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 0O9 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 356 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1750 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 53 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CEC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 57 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 25 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 30 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 246 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 3 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1141 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6290D |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA176 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17272696 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 47 |
| Airframe Hours | 5722 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BUCHANAN FLYING CLUB INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 5661 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CONCORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94524 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BUCHANAN FLYING CLUB INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 5661 |
| Operator City | CONCORD |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 94524 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CEC |
| Departure City | CRESCENT CITY |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 6 |
| Runway Length | 2990 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |