Banning Municipal Airport, Banning, CA

Location: The Banning Municipal Airport is located 1 miles south east of Banning, California.

History:  The Banning Airport was built in 1927 by the American Legion and Kiwanis Clubs of Banning.  The original facility was a dirt landing strip and a hangar.  In 1943 the Banning Landing Strip, as it was known, was used by the US Army for training engineers in airport construction techniques which were used to build landing facilities in Italy during the war.  There is some evidence that General Patton may have used the airport when traveling back and forth from his Banning headquarters and his field headquarters in Arizona.

Banning Municipal Airport Today:  Obstructions reported; Power lines at the west end; Helicopter operations;



Airport Services and Amenities:  Food within 1 mile; lodging nearby;

Special Events and Attractions: Factory Stores; Casino; Palm Springs Aerial Tramway;

Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Saturday, March 03, 2007 in Banning, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/28/2008
Aircraft: Cessna 182Q, registration: N735SD
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
The pilot checked the weather reports during the approach to the destination airport for landing. The winds were reported as from "080 degrees at 20-30 knots." The pilot set up for left-hand traffic for the east-oriented runway. After turning from base to final at 500 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot added power to extend the glide; however, the engine did not respond and remained at idle. The pilot applied full throttle, but there was still no increase in power from idle. He noted power lines and buildings between him and the airport, and knew that he was not going to make the runway. The pilot decided to make a forced landing on a nearby freeway. He stalled the airplane to land between cars, and landed hard, which resulted in structural damage to the fuselage. The nearest official weather reporting facility located 20 nautical miles from the accident site reported winds from 080 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 23 knots. Local airport operations
personnel noted strong easterly winds at 30 to 50 miles per hour during the day. An inspection of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

Loss of engine power while on final approach for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the unfavorable wind condition.

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Incident occurred Tuesday, February 13, 2007 in Banning, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/30/2008
Aircraft: Columbia Aircraft LC41-550FG, registration: N194LF
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot experienced a "check attitude" annunciator warning related to the airplane's autopilot while in cruise flight in his 8-month-old airplane. The pilot responded to the warning by initially cycling the autopilot off and on. He also attempted to correct the increasing left bank of the airplane, but movement of the aileron control stick was restricted. The stick turned to the right but its movement stopped at the center position. The pilot further described the anomaly by stating that "the yoke felt as if it were hitting something very solid." It felt like the yoke "was hitting a metallic stop." Despite his best efforts at applying right aileron roll control inputs (even using both hands), he was not able to move the control stick right of the neutral aileron (wings-level) position. The airplane reached an approximate 90-degree left bank angle before his application of full right rudder control inputs returned it to level flight and he reacquired
control. At the time, the pilot was approaching his home base airport, and he decided to land. After two approaches that terminated in go-arounds, the pilot successfully landed and taxied to his hangar. While taxiing, the pilot tried to get the aileron to move freely upon application of stick pressure. Also, after he parked the airplane he tried to move the aileron with his hands. When he moved the stick to the right, it would stop at the neutral position. Before further flight, the airplane and its autopilot systems were examined. No anomalies were found with the autopilot or related systems. Under the Safety Board's directed inquiry, the aileron binding event was confirmed during the FAA's and participants' physical inspection of the right wing's linear bearing, through which the actuating control rod is routed. Manufacturing-related foreign object debris (FOD) was found on the bottom of the inboard side of the linear bearing housing. Previously,
reports had been received of flight control binding events, but the manufacturer had failed to so notify the FAA, pursuant to regulations. The manufacturer responded by issuing a mandatory service bulletin, and the FAA responded to the incident by issuing an airworthiness directive to address identification and prevention of similar control binding events.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident as follows:

Jammed aileron flight control during cruise flight due to the presence of foreign object debris, which resulted from the manufacturer's improper processes.

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Accident occurred Friday, December 07, 2001 in Banning, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/23/2003
Aircraft: Burkhart Grob G102 Club Astir IIIB, registration: N102FC
Injuries: 1 Serious.
During the glider flight the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions and attempted to land. About 1 mile from the airport on final approach, the pilot encountered gusting high wind. The pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed and lost control of the glider. Witnesses reported that a wing suddenly lowered and the glider fell nearly straight down from an altitude of about 60 feet above the ground. An officer who arrived on scene within minutes of the crash reported that the wind speed was not less than 20 knots, with gusts to 40 knots.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

On final approach, the pilot's failure to maintain adequate aircraft airspeed and control during an encounter with the gusting high wind.

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Accident occurred Saturday, December 01, 2001 in Banning, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/2/2004
Aircraft: Classic Aircraft Corp. WACO YMF, registration: N31BN
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane lost power on final approach for landing and impacted rocky terrain about 1/4 mile from the approach end of the runway. The pilot stated that he was flying to local airports. The plan was to do a touch-and-go landing and then depart. He noted no discrepancies until the second leg of the flight when he was on final. He had setup for landing, which included reducing power and adding carburetor heat. On final he smelled fuel. He noted that an existing headwind had put the airplane farther back on the approach than he had expected, and he realized that he was not going to make the runway. The pilot advanced the throttle, but did not receive a corresponding power output from the engine. The airplane came to rest in rocky terrain. Later examination of the carburetor float revealed that it was cracked and full of fuel. Furthermore, fuel was leaking around the mixture control, accelerator pump, and in the idle tube area of the carburetor.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

a loss of engine power due to a crack in the carburetor float and leaking portions of the carburetor that resulted in an overly rich mixture.


Banning Municipal Airport Approach / Landing: