Sedona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sedona, Arizona 86336
Saturday, September 26, 1998 9:45 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The private pilot/owner seated in the right seat was type rated in the airplane. The second pilot in the left seat manipulating the flight controls, held an ATP and flight instructor certificates, but was not type rated in the airplane. The second pilot had a total of 1.9 hours in the airplane. Both pilots stated that they selected runway 3 for landing based on weather reports and that other airplanes were using that runway. During landing rollout, propeller reverse power was selected and the left engine came in before the right engine, which caused the airplane to veer left, and braking was used to correct the heading. The propellers were brought out of reverse and the airplane continued to exit the left side of the runway and collapsed the nose gear. The manager of the FBO said they were advising runway 21 as the active runway. The pilot of another airplane said that he had just landed on runway 21 and that there were two other airplanes in the traffic pattern for runway 21 when the accident airplane landed on runway 3. He stated that winds were 130 degrees at 14 knots and the conditions in the pattern were turbulent. The pilot noted that after he landed the wind kept shifting direction from a southeasterly to northeasterly heading. No mechanical anomalies were found during an examination of the propeller reverse system or the braking system.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot in command's selection of the wrong runway for the prevailing wind conditions, and the second pilot's inadequate compensation for the winds. Factors in the accident were the second pilot's lack of experience in the aircraft and the pilot-in-command's inadequate supervision of the flight. Additional factors were the variable and gusty, cross wind and tail wind conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/26/1998
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 945
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City SEDONA
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 86336
Event Date Year 1998
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SEDONA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SEZ
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 4827
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 945 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SEZ
Elevation of weather observation facility 4827
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 14
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 6
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1846
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 28 1998 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1030
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 11:46AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7025J
NTSB Number LAX98LA313
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Grumman
Aircraft Model HU-16C
Aircraft Series Identifier HU-16C
Aircraft Serial Number 131910
Certified Max Gross Weight 33500
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 13
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 17 1998 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 43
Airframe Hours 4119
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STEPHEN L. RITLAND
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1150 N. SAN FRANCISCO ST.
Aircraft Owner City FLAGSTAFF
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 86001
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FLG
Departure City FLAGSTAFF
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 920
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code SEZ
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 3
Runway Length 5132
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --