Kinner SPORTSTER K accident near Los Banos, California, August 12, 1995
On August 12, 1995 at about 6:23 pm local time, a Kinner SPORTSTER K, registered N100AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Banos, California (Los Banos Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain minimum control airspeed resulting in a stall, and not maintaining proper altitude on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the unfavorable wind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1995 · about 6:23 pm local time
- Place
- Los Banos, California · Los Banos Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kinner SPORTSTER K SPORTSTER
- Registration
- N100AA · no longer on the register · serial 66
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the 1933 vintage airplane and the engine were operating normally. He was on short final approach and had always been taught to land short on the numbers. He stated that he was too low and too slow to recover from the effects of an eddy wind current from some nearby buildings and stalled. The aircraft landed hard, short of the runway.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 1,875 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner K5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 069 Petaluma CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Columbia KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from MCE, 25 miles away
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.