Amateur-built AVID C AEROBAT accident near Hollister, California, October 21, 2008
On October 21, 2008 at about 9:39 pm local time, a amateur-built AVID C AEROBAT, registered N967DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hollister, California (Frazier Lake Airpark 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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain airplane control during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident were the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2008 · about 9:39 pm local time
- Place
- Hollister, California · Frazier Lake Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AVID C AEROBAT
- Registration
- N967DR · no longer on the register · serial 967
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he departed with the intention of flying around the traffic pattern to maintain his flying currency. After a few minutes, he approached runway 23 and attempted to land. The pilot stated that the wind was from a northerly direction at 7-10 knots and was gusty. The pilot entered a sideslip to maintain runway alignment. As the airplane crossed the threshold, it suddenly lost lift and descended until it impacted the runway, bounced, and then nosed over. The airplane came to rest in an inverted attitude adjacent to the south side of the runway, about 350 feet upwind of the runway's landing threshold. The airplane's rudder and wing lift struts were bent. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions occurred with the airplane and that its engine operated normally. The pilot also reported that he was flying his airplane under his sport pilot license and that no aviation medical certificate was required.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 319 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 264 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 129.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 12, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1C9 Hollister CA
- Destination: 1C9 Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 2,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.