American Legend Aircraft Co. AL3 accident near Fresno, California, September 28, 2009
On September 28, 2009 at about 3:45 pm local time, a American Legend Aircraft Co. AL3, registered N18MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fresno, California (Fresno Yosemite International airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2009 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fresno, California · Fresno Yosemite International · 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
- Registration
- N18MK · registry record · serial AL-1084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered to the right during the landing roll in calm winds and after the tailwheel was lowered to the runway pavement. Attempts by the pilot to correct back to the left were unsuccessful, which resulted in a ground loop to the right and substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Post accident examination of the airplane’s tailwheel assembly, rudder controls and associated rudder cables revealed no anomalies which would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,277 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,277 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2009; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne-Continental Motors O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAT Fresno CA at 2:45 pm
- Destination: FAT Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 7,205 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from FAT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR09LA472.