Amateur-built SA300 accident near Quincy, California, September 27, 2003
On September 27, 2003 at about 3:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SA300, registered N1698, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quincy, California (Gansner Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 2003 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, California · Gansner Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SA300 · all SA300s on the register
- Registration
- N1698 · registry record · serial FMI
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground looped during landing; the left wing impacted the ground and the left main gear collapsed. During touchdown on runway 06 the pilot lost visual contact with the runway as the tail wheel touched down, due to the angle of the sun and the effects of sun glare. He attempted to add brakes sooner than normal and the right brake locked. He was unable to regain control by using the left brake and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot said that he should have gone around and landed on runway 24 to prevent the sun glare from interfering with his vision.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 384 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 201 Gansner Field CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 060
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.