American Legend Aircraft CO AL3 accident near Hemet, California, July 25, 2009
On July 25, 2009 at about 3:00 pm local time, a American Legend Aircraft CO AL3, registered N918ZZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hemet, California (Hemet-Ryan Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and excessive use of the brakes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2009 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet-Ryan Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Legend Aircraft CO AL3 · all AL3s on the register
- Registration
- N918ZZ · registry record · serial AL-1058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was providing primary flight instruction to a student pilot in a tail wheel-equipped airplane. The CFI reported that he demonstrated the first landing, and the following landings were conducted by the student pilot. On the third landing, the airplane touched down on the main tires "straight, with no bounce." During the landing roll, while the tail wheel was still off the ground, the airplane veered slightly to the left and the student pilot applied left rudder. Subsequently, the airplane veered sharply to the left and the student pilot applied full brakes. The airplane exited the runway and nosed over. The airplane's wings and rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilots reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: sport pilot; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,724 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 18,520 as pilot in command; 12,036 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 5, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 119 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 2008; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA
- Destination: HMT Hemet CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,314 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from RIV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 WPR09CA365.