Amateur-built 320 accident near Fall River Mill, California, May 5, 1991
On May 5, 1991 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built 320, registered N320MC, was destroyed in an accident near Fall River Mill, California (Fall River Mill 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO COMPENSATE FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND TO RECOVER FROM A BOUNCED LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN AN ON GROUND LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE WIND CONDITIONS AND TURBULENCE AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 1991 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fall River Mill, California · Fall River Mill · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 320
- Registration
- N320MC · registry record · serial 444-FB-24
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A LANCE AIR 320 LOST CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH A T-HANGAR. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED THREE TIMES BEFORE DRIFTING OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN DRAGGED A WING AND CARTWHEELED INTO THE DOORS OF A T-HANGAR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS WERE SHIFTING FROM A CROSSWIND TO A QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE PILOT ALSO INDICATED THAT HE NOTED TURBULENCE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE AIRPORT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR AND A SEGMENTED CIRCLE.
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: 689 hours in all; 17 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360 B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 043 Yerington NV at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 289 Fall River Mill CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 2, 3,600 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°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.
Other NTSB records under N320MC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.