American Legend Aircraft CO AL11C-100 accident near Placerville, California, February 19, 2022
On February 19, 2022 at about 1:00 am local time, a 2005 American Legend Aircraft CO AL11C-100, registered N800SW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Placerville, California (Placerville 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of directional control during landing with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2022 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Placerville, California · Placerville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Legend Aircraft CO AL11C-100, built 2005 · all AL11C-100s on the register
- Registration
- N800SW · registry record · serial AL-1013
- 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 decided to perform a downwind landing because the setting sun was shining directly down the active runway. During the landing, the airplane veered off track and the main landing gear sustained damage after striking a culvert. The pilot applied engine power and performed a go-around, and during the second landing attempt, the airplane veered off the runway and collided with bushes in the runway drop off. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccidentct mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 12, 2020
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2021; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 600 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,914 ft by 76 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from KPVF
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPVF 190115Z AUTO 29003KT 10SM CLR 14/M02 A3023 RMK AO1=
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.
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 WPR22LA110.