Amateur-built PULSAR 582 accident near Prescott, Arizona, February 9, 2002
On February 9, 2002 at about 9:02 pm local time, a amateur-built PULSAR 582, registered N3218N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona (Prescott airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain landing reference speed and aircraft control. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2002 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · Prescott · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PULSAR 582
- Registration
- N3218N · no longer on the register · serial 3971321
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed the airplane hard on the nose landing gear, which collapsed; this was his first flight in this type of airplane. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and this was his first flight in it. He had the previous owner sitting in the right seat for the familiarization flight. The airplane had a single control stick mounted between the two seats, and he was the sole manipulator of the controls. He took off and intended to stay in the traffic pattern to practice touch-and-go landings and reported that the winds were very gusty. On the first landing he made a short approach that was too fast. After the nose landing gear sheared off, the airplane slid across the runway before coming to rest. The pilot had about 100 hours total time in airplanes, primarily in the Cessna 182, and was flying on a student certificate without an endorsement for this airplane. The previous owner was a commercial pilot, but not a certified flight instructor.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 980 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRC Prescott AZ at 8:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21R, 4,846 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 9:06 pm from PRC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.