Casualties unknown

1987-04-03: North American NAVION (N91735) — Richard B. Olwin — Los Alamos, NM

Los Alamos, NM, US

On April 3, 1987, a North American NAVION (registration N91735) operated by Richard B. Olwin was involved in an aviation accident near Los Alamos, NM. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During crosswind landing instruction, a hard touchdown caused the right main landing gear to break off. The aircraft skidded to the right and struck the airport boundary fence.

Overview

An instructor pilot was providing crosswind landing instruction to a pre-solo student pilot. During the landing attempt, the aircraft touched down hard, resulting in the breakage of the right main landing gear. The aircraft then skidded to the right side of the landing area and came to rest after contacting the airport boundary fence.

Sequence of Events

The training flight focused on crosswind landing techniques. On the landing attempt, the aircraft contacted the runway with excessive force, causing the right main landing gear to separate from the aircraft. Following the gear failure, the aircraft lost directional control and skidded laterally to the right. The skid continued until the aircraft struck the airport boundary fence, where it stopped.

Wind Conditions

At the time of touchdown, the observed wind was from 150 degrees at 12 knots. This direction created a quartering tailwind for runway 27, which was the runway in use during the landing attempt.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001213X30634. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.