Hemmer MINI-MAX 1600R accident near Davis, California, August 8, 2010
On August 8, 2010 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Hemmer MINI-MAX 1600R, registered N71031, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Davis, California (Yolo County 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
The airplane’s encounter with the wake turbulence of another aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2010 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Davis, California · Yolo County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hemmer MINI-MAX 1600R
- Registration
- N71031 · no longer on the register · serial JH001
- 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 while flying on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern in a single seat, tailwheel-equipped ultralight type airplane, he observed a Cessna airplane take off from the runway. When the Cessna was clear of the runway, the pilot conducted an uneventful wheel landing. During the landing roll, as the airplane approached the area where the Cessna lifted off, the airplane lifted off of the runway surface. The pilot applied full power but the airplane touched down hard, substantially damaging the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 139 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 6, 2009; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 560 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KDWA Davis CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: KDWA Davis CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from KEDU, 5 miles away
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.