Gnoss Field Airport, Novato, California

Accident occurred Friday, April 24, 2009 in Novato, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/14/2009
Aircraft: SIAI-MARCHETTI SM 1019, registration: N391RV
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
During the planned termination of an instructional proficiency flight in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot attempted a full-stop landing in a nearly direct crosswind that was gusting to 15 knots. During the landing roll, the pilot failed to maintain directional control and the flight instructor providing dual instruction did not take action in time to remedy the situation. The airplane therefore veered sharply off the runway surface, and during the excursion sequence its right wing contacted the ground and sustained structural damage.
= = =
= = =
Accident occurred Sunday, June 10, 2007 in Novato, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/30/2007
Aircraft: Cirrus Design Corp. SR22, registration: N171SR
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
As the airplane approached the destination airport, the two pilots, a student pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI), checked the automated weather observation system and noted that the winds were from 210 degrees at 15 knots. The aircraft entered the traffic pattern for runway 31 and prepared to land. Other aircraft landing on the same runway reported over the common traffic advisory frequency that there was "pretty much a direct cross wind" and "wind shear over the hills when turning base to final." The student pilot flew a stable approach with close supervision from the CFI. While flaring, the aircraft was "hit by a massive wind gust that pushed the plane onto the runway and caused a bounce." The CFI took control of the aircraft and "tried to save the landing." The CFI applied full throttle with the intention of going around, but was not able to get the airplane into the air. The aircraft then veered to the right, cleared a ditch that ran
parallel to the runway and came to a stop in the grass with the gear collapsed.
= = =
= = =
On August 27, 2006, about 2200 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Tevis RV-6A airplane, N312RV, impacted terrain about 2 miles north of the Gnoss Field Airport near Novato, California. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was built and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. The flight originated from the Lincoln Regional Airport, Lincoln, California, around 2100, and was destined for the Petaluma Airport, Petaluma, California. Dark night conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the flight.

According to the pilot's family, he had flown the airplane from Petaluma to Lincoln earlier in the day to attend a family birthday party. The family took the pilot and passenger to the Lincoln airport around 2030, and they believe they departed around 2100. The pilot's hangar and car were located at Petaluma. The pilot's son reported that his father indicated that if the Petaluma airport was fogged in and the ceilings was less than 1,000 feet, he would land at Gnoss field (DVO) in Novato or the Nut Tree airport, in Vacaville, California.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

At the time of the accident, the pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine landing aircraft. The pilot's flight logbook indicated that he had accumulated a total flight time in all aircraft of 356 hours, with 289 hours as pilot-in-command. A total flight time in the make and model aircraft involved in the accident was approximately 223 hours, with 217 hours as pilot-in-command. A total of 2 hours had been flown in the 90 days preceding the accident.

The pilot held a third class medical certificate issued on November 29, 2004. A limitation listed that the pilot must have available glasses for near vision.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The aircraft was built by the pilot and certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration on July 6, 2001. A Textron Lycoming O-360-D1A, 180 horsepower engine with a wood propeller was installed. Aircraft records indicate that the aircraft had accumulated a total flight time of approximately 230 hours at the time of the accident.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The Napa County Airport located 15 nautical miles east of the accident site was reporting weather at 2154 as clear with 10 miles visibility. The temperature was 12 degrees C, and a dew point of 9 degrees C. The wind was from 210 degrees at 4 knots.

At 2254, the sky cover was few at 900 feet with a visibility of 10 miles.

An employee at Gnoss Field located about 2 miles south of the accident site reported that the Petaluma area (north of the accident site) began to get fogged in at approximately 1900 hours. The weather at Gnoss field was clear with 10 miles visibility until about 2200. The fog moved into the area later that night with thick fog present by the early morning hours on August 28.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The wreckage was located on a hillside known as Neils Island the morning of August 28, by a mosquito abatement officer who was checking the nearby bogs below the wreckage site.

The wreckage was located at north 38 degrees 11.524' latitude, west 122 degrees 34.639' longitude at an elevation of about 140 feet mean sea level (msl). The top of the hill was approximately 180 feet in height at the highest point and the lowest surrounding terrain at the base of the hill was at 0 feet msl.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, the airplane impacted the north side of rising terrain (Neils Island) covered with dry grass. Slash marks in the soil were noted in the ground at the initial impact crater. The wreckage was scattered along a debris path in a southerly heading. The wooden propeller broke into several pieces. The engine and firewall tore loose from the fuselage. The forward fuselage and wings displayed aft crushing. The empennage section was partially inverted with the horizontal stabilizer with the elevators attached and the vertical stabilizer with the rudder attached. Both wing fuel tanks were compromised. Evidence of fuel staining was present. The cockpit area and instrumentation was destroyed by impact damage. The emergency locator transmitter was located in the empennage section. The switch was found in the OFF position. When turned to the ON position, the unit
emitted a signal.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

Toxicological samples sent to the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were listed as negative.

ADDITIONAL DATA/INFORMATION

Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors reported that no component or aircraft system failures were noted at the accident site. The engine, which was examined after the wreckage was removed from the accident site did not disclose any evidence of anomalies.

The elevation at the Petaluma airport is 87 feet msl. The elevation at Gnoss Field is 2 feet msl. Neils Island is in between both airports and the highest point at approximately 180 feet msl in the straight line between the two airports.

The wreckage was released to the owner's representative on November 30, 2006.
= = =
= = =
On July 5, 2006, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 210K, N12PF, veered off the runway and impacted a ditch during landing at Gnoss Field Airport, Novato, California. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed San Carlos, California, about 1020. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge interviewed the pilot on the telephone. The pilot reported that while on the downwind to land on runway 13 she and her passenger remembered hearing the gear extending, and she confirmed the landing gear indicator light was illuminated. After touchdown the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and came to rest in a ditch.

A witness to the accident said that he saw the airplane on final approach and the left landing gear was not in the locked position and was trailing below the airplane.

During recovery process it was noted that both the nose gear and the right main gear were in the extended and locked position. The left main gear was in the wheel well and was manually pulled out of the wheel well and locked into the down position. The airport personnel reported that the tire marks on the runway indicated that the left main gear had not supported any substantial weight of the airplane during the landing.