Amateur-built GOLDWING accident near Kingdon, California, July 31, 1983
On July 31, 1983 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built GOLDWING, registered N3881B, was destroyed in an accident near Kingdon, California (Kingdon Airpark airport). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1983 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kingdon, California · Kingdon Airpark
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GOLDWING
- Registration
- N3881B · registry record · serial 355
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS FLYING A REGISTERED, HOME BUILT, ULTRALIGHT ACFT THAT HAD JUST BEEN CERTIFICATED. THE 1ST FLT WAS MADE EARLIER ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT STATED THAT HE MADE 10 LANDINGS AT LODI, CA, WITH THE WIND ABOUT 20 DEG OFF THE RWY HEADING AT 3 TO 6 KTS. HE THEN FLEW TO KINGDON, CA WHICH REPORTEDLY HAD THE SAME WIND CONDITIONS, BUT WERE FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE RWY. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO 'PLANT' THE ACFT ON THE RUNWAY AT KINGDON. REPORTEDLY, HE WAS EXPERIENCING CONTROL DIFFICULTIES DUE TO HIS UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ACFT. ON THE 4TH APCH, HE LANDED, BUT THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT. HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT THE PLANE HIT A FENCE & CRASHED. THE PLT STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS SENSITIVE TO SMALL WIND CHANGES & HAD LIMITED NOSEWHEEL STEERING. ALSO, HE QUESTIONED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ACFT'S WINGLET RUDDERS.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,353 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 1,281 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 520 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 103 Lodi CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,000 ft by 140 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.