Amateur-built RANS S4 accident near Mesa, Arizona, March 14, 1999
On March 14, 1999 at about 8:38 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S4, registered N199AG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the existing crosswind condition and to maintain lateral control of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1999 · about 8:38 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S4
- Registration
- N199AG · registry record · serial 93199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had taken off from the airport to remain in the pattern for touch-and-go's on runway 22R. The pilot had already completed two touch-and-go landings, and was on the third takeoff. He said a gust of wind caused the aircraft to become airborne as he lifted the tail. The aircraft then went into a steep right bank and turned right at approximately 10 feet agl. The airplane drifted off the runway and the right wingtip contacted the ground, which caused the airplane to nose down and cartwheel. The pilot told investigators that he was holding full left aileron from the moment he noticed the left wing liftoff the ground, with no effect. The FAA examined the airplane and said it appeared to be rigged properly. The winds reported at the airport at the time of the accident were from 190 degrees at 6 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
- Flight time: 343 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 76 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1998; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 587 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ at 9:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22R, 3,801 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:38 pm from FFZ, 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.
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 LAX99LA119.