Amateur-built A75N1 accident near Lemoore, California, June 7, 1997
On June 7, 1997 at about 3:10 pm local time, a amateur-built A75N1, registered N450MF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lemoore, California (Nas Lemoore/Reeves 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 to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in a ground swerve and subsequent overload failure of the main landing gear. Related factors were a left crosswind and partial loss of the right wheel brake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 1997 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lemoore, California · Nas Lemoore/Reeves
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built A75N1
- Registration
- N450MF · registry record · serial 75-6618
- 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 he was unable to control a sudden swerve to the left during the landing rollout, so he added full power to go around. The power application torqued the airplane into a fully developed ground loop from which it came to rest after approximately 135 degrees of turn. During the turn, both main gear collapsed, allowing the propeller to contact the runway surface. The pilot also stated that the right brake faded during the landing rollout, and he felt that this contributed to his inability to control the initial swerve.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,712 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 4,554 as pilot in command; 1,256 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 1996; 120 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 018 Hanford CA at 2:50 pm
- Destination: NLC CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 13,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from NLC, 1 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.