Mojave Airport, Mojave, CA

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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Thursday, December 07, 2006 in Mojave, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/26/2007
Aircraft: North American AT-6C, registration: N9525C
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The aircraft collided with an obstacle during an intentional low altitude pass at an airport. During a mock bombing run at an erected target/sign, which was off to the side of runway 30, the pilot descended too low, and the right wing impacted the sign. The pilot heard a "thump," and realized that he had struck the sign. He then circled around and landed on runway 08. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.

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

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a sign while performing a low altitude maneuver.

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Accident occurred Wednesday, August 16, 2006 in Mojave, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/29/2007
Aircraft: Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300, registration: N12DW
Injuries: 1 Serious.
The airplane did not recover out of the bottom of a low altitude aerobatic maneuver and the airplane impacted the desert terrain in a flat attitude. The pilot had been practicing in the airport's local aerobatic box over several days for an upcoming air show. Witnesses reported observing the accident airplane performing low-level aerobatics. They watched the airplane complete one practice run, which included a maneuver that they thought was a Cuban 8. They stated that as the airplane came out of the bottom of the maneuver the nose was pitched up about 30 degrees, and the airplane appeared to stall (no forward velocity), which they thought was intentional. The airplane started its second run and was performing this maneuver when the airplane dropped below a parked MD-11 commercial jetliner that was about 0.5 nm away. The airplane had the same nose up attitude. They did not see the airplane contact the ground, but estimated the height above the ground as
100 feet agl before it dropped behind the MD-11. The witnesses heard the engine "run-up" after they lost sight of the airplane and observed a column of brown dust rise up from the accident site . Investigators examined the airframe and engine. The engine inspection revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airframe inspection included a detailed look at the elevator control system. Elevator travel was limited due to deformation of the belly and collapsed rear seat. All disconnections and breaks were attributed to impact forces .

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

the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while performing low-level aerobatics that resulted in an inadvertent accelerated stall and in-flight collision with terrain.

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Accident occurred Monday, October 17, 2005 in Mojave, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/25/2007
Aircraft: North American T-39A, registration: N39FS
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
Prior to departure, the pilot and copilot calculated takeoff and landing distances for a wet runway. The T39A departed for a test flight, but returned after a short time due to rain showers in the area. The landing runway was still wet from a previous rain shower. The crew selected an approach flap setting and crossed the runway threshold at 125 knots. The captain reported the touchdown was just past the runway numbers, and the crew experienced normal braking action until around the 3,000-foot remaining point. At that point, the braking "seemed ineffective." The flight crew selected antiskid off and normal braking was attempted with limited effect. The captain elected not to abort the landing due to the limited remaining runway and the time needed to spool up the engines. The copilot was calling out speeds and distance remaining, and the captain remembered the airspeed was 60 knots with 2,000 feet of runway remaining. The copilot called "nose wheel
steering" a couple seconds later but the steering had little effect on the aircraft. He reported that the braking "became nil" as the aircraft slowed to about 30 knots. The airplane drifted to the right side of the runway and departed the runway surface. The landing gear dug into the soft ground, with the nose gear collapsing aft and the right main gear folding inward. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were found during post accident aircraft inspections.

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

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll. A wet runway surface was a factor.

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Accident occurred Sunday, June 26, 2005 in Mojave, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/26/2007
Aircraft: Cessna 337G, registration: N3BZ
Injuries: 1 Serious, 3 Minor.
The airplane impacted a light post, a hotel, and terrain shortly after takeoff. The pilot reported that the ground roll and liftoff seemed normal. He reported retracting the landing gear and flaps while at a 300-foot/minute climb at 90 miles/hour. He said the flight encountered a downdraft shortly after that during the takeoff initial climb at around 200 to 300 feet above ground level. When the flight encountered the reported downdraft, the engine instruments indicated that both the front and rear engines were producing 24 inches of manifold pressure and 2,500 rpm. The pilot said he was unable to arrest the descent prior to colliding with the hotel and light post. Post-accident examination of the aircraft and engines provided no evidence of a malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation of the engines. Review of the closest weather facility's recorded weather data (located 17 nautical miles away) revealed the flight had a likely
headwind of 11 knots and a computed density altitude of 4,903 feet. The calculated performance data revealed that the airplane should have been able to climb about a rate of 850 feet/minute with both engines operative and at normal climb speed of 109 miles/hour.

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

the pilot's encounter with a downdraft or wind shear during takeoff the initial climb.

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Mojave Airport Approach / Landing: