Meyers MAC 145 accident near La Cholla, Arizona, May 29, 2014
On May 29, 2014 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1953 Meyers MAC 145, registered N34374, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Cholla, Arizona (Lacholla Airpark 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's overcorrection to a wind gust, which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway veeroff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2014 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- La Cholla, Arizona · Lacholla Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Meyers MAC 145, built 1953 · all MAC 145s on the register
- Registration
- N34374 · registry record · serial 217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel equipped airplane received substantial damage to both wings, when the airplane veered off the runway and struck a cacti after the pilot overcorrected to compensate for a wind gust during the landing rollout. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that 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
- 552060 during descent - emergency
- 552230 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 1,250 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 1,125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 4, 2012
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, April 15, 2014; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,910 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 1,700 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: E95 Benson AZ at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 57AZ La Cholla AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,500 ft by 445 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°C, dew point 39°C
- Altimeter: 30.5 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from 57AZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR14CA224.