Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's poorly planned approach, his failure to maintain the proper airspeed and descent rate, and his failure to perform the necessary remedial action.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was completing a VFR personal flight. The pilot said that while on final approach, he experienced a sink rate which he was unable to arrest before the airplane collided with the terrain short of the runway threshold. He said he did not experience any mechanical problems and the wind was calm.
Source record
Factual narrative
On October 19, 1994, at 0940 hours Pacific daylight time, a Stan G. Hallam homebuilt RV-6 airplane, N93SJ, crashed north of runway 16 at Bryant Field, Bridgeport, California. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, did not receive any injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Madera Airport, Madera, California, at 0840 hours. The pilot said in the aircraft accident report that while on final approach the airplane experience a heavy sink rate. He was unable to arrest the sink rate before colliding with the terrain north of the runway threshold. He also said that the airplane did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the surface winds were calm. -