Corona Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Corona, California 91720
Saturday, May 2, 1992 14:46 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A STUDENT PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT OF HIS NEWLY PURCHASED AIRCRAFT AND A PRIVATE PILOT OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT. THE INVESTIGATION WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOTS INITIATED A GO AROUND AFTER A HARD LANDING WHICH SHEARED OFF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, BROKE THE NOSE GEAR STRUT, AND DAMAGED THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE CLIMB RATE AND THE AIRSPEED APPEARED TO BE VERY LOW, AND THAT THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER APPEARED TO BE BENT DOWN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, DURING THE CROSS WIND AND DOWN WIND LEGS, THE AIRPLANE WAS MAKING ABRUPT PITCH CHANGES AND NEVER ATTAINED ALTITUDES OF MORE THAN 300 TO 500 FEET AGL. WHILE ON A CLOSE IN DOWN WIND LEG, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET HIGHER THAN THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD JUST TRADED ANOTHER AIRPLANE FOR THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WHICH HAD JUST HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS SIGNED OFF AS UNAIRWORTHY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

1) THE FLYING PILOT'S IMPROPER LANDING FLARE WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE FLIGHT CONTROLS, 2) THE FLYING PILOT'S DECISION TO INITIATE A GO AROUND WITH THE OBVIOUS SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND 3) THE FLYING PILOT'S INABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT IN PITCH DUE TO THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED IN THE HARD LANDING. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/2/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1446
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CORONA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91720
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CORONA MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID L66
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 150
Airport Elevation 533
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1446 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 320
Weather Observation Facility ID CNO
Elevation of weather observation facility 650
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 458
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 2 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1510
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47921
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:55PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N666CM
NTSB Number LAX92FA196
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A23-24
Aircraft Series Identifier A23-24
Aircraft Serial Number MA-62
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 4467
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name NIX,WILLIAM J.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7484 JOAN AVE.
Operator City RIVERSIDE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92509
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 RIR
Departure City RIVERSIDE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code L66
Destination City CORONA
Destination State CA
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 25
Runway Length 3200
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --