Canadair F-86E MK.6 accident near Santa Ana, California, May 2, 1993
On May 2, 1993 at about 8:43 pm local time, a Canadair F-86E MK.6, registered N3842J, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Ana, California (Mcas El Toro airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PLANNING/DECISION CONCERNING PERFORMANCE OF AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE ABOVE THE RUNWAY DURING RECOVERY FROM THE MANEUVER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S LOWER TOLERANCE TO 'G'S' (PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITION) BY NOT WEARING A 'G' SUIT (MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1993 · about 8:43 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · Mcas El Toro
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadair F-86E MK.6 · all F-86E MK.6s on the register
- Registration
- N3842J · no longer on the register · serial 1480
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PREPLANNED ROUTINE INVOLVING AN F-86 AND A MIG-15 HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THE AIRSHOW. WHEN THE MIG-15 PILOT WAS UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE, THE F-86 PILOT ELECTED TO CONDUCT A SOLO AEROBATIC ROUTINE THAT HAD NOT BEEN PRACTICED FOR THE SHOW. AFTER TAKEOFF, HE BEGAN A LOOP WITH AN AILERON ROLL AT THE TOP OF THE MANEUVER. DURING DESCENT FROM THE TOP OF THE LOOP, THE AIRPLANE DEVELOPED A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND CONTACTED THE RUNWAY IN A NEAR NOSE AND WING LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS NOT WEARING A 'G' SUIT, AND THE CALCULATED 'G'S' SUSTAINED DURING THE PULL-OUT (BEFORE IMPACT) WERE 6.4 G'S. NO SPECTATORS WERE INJURED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,596 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,667 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 1993; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Orenda 10 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NZJ at 8:41 pm
- Destination: NZJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16R, 6,311 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from NZJ
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX93LA199.