Beech A36 accident near Santa Ana, California, February 24, 1993
On February 24, 1993 at about 9:43 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N43Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne Orange County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE APPROACH REFERENCE AIRSPEED. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LOW EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1993 · about 9:43 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne Orange County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N43Y · registry record · serial E-576
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE MONITORED THE ATIS WHILE INBOUND TO RUNWAY 19R AND THAT THE REPORTED WINDS WERE FROM 230 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS. WHILE ON DOWNWIND THE PILOT SAID HE OBSERVED A TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT LAND, 'NOTING THE CRAB ANGLE FOR CROSS WIND EFFECTS.' THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE LOCAL CONTROLLER PROVIDE 'GUST ADVISORIES' WHILE HE WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT SAID THAT ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY 'WE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT THAT BROUGHT US TO (THE) RUNWAY AND BACK UP TO ABOUT 40 FEET AGL.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND BUT THAT THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND NEAR THE RUNWAY EDGE AND THEN LEFT THE PAVEMENT AND RAN INTO THE GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAYS. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL RUNWAY SIGNS AND SHEARED OFF THE LANDING GEAR. TRANSCRIPTS OF RECORDED AIR TO GROUND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEQUENCED BEHIND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AND CLEARED TO LAND AT 1340:37. AT 1341:39, THE CONTROLLER IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FOR THE CURRENT WINDS BROADCAST 'WIND TWO FOUR ZERO AT ONE TWO.' THE OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THE WINDS FROM 270 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 15 KNOTS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 281 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVX Avalon CA at 9:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,700 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:46 pm from SNA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.