Sierraville Dearwater Airport, Sierraville, CA
Airport History:
Sierraville/Dearwater Airport Today:
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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Wednesday, July 02, 2008 in
Sierraville, CA
Aircraft: Mauck RV-6A, registration: N27WR
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to
change, and may contain errors. Any errors in
this report will be corrected when the final
report has been completed.
On July 2, 2008, about 1307
Pacific daylight time , a Mauck RV-6A,
N27WR, was substantially damaged when it
impacted trees while maneuvering near
Sierraville, California . The airplane was
registered to Tahoe Athletic Adventures Inc, of
Tahoe City, California , and operated by
the pilot under the provisions 14
Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The
pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was
killed.
Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed, and no
flight plan was filed for the personal
local flight that originated from the
Truckee-Tahoe Airport,
Truckee California , about 1254.
A family member reported the airplane missing to
the
Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA )
on July 2, 2008 after becoming concerned when
the airplane and pilot had not been seen since
he departed the airport earlier that day. The
FAA subsequently issued an Alert Notification
(ALNOT). The airplane was located by air units
on July 5, 2008, approximately 1050, in a
heavily wooded area about 1.5 miles northwest of
the
Sierraville Deerwater Airport (O79),
Sierraville.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who
responded to the accident site, revealed that
the airplane came to rest inverted within a
group of tall trees. The left wing was mostly
separated and the engine was separated from the
fuselage. All primary
flight controls were located at the
accident site. The wreckage was transported to a
secure location for further examination.
===
Accident occurred Monday, September 02, 2002 in
SIERRAVILLE, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/5/2004
Aircraft:
Mooney M20 , registration: N881B
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane veered off the runway during
takeoff from runway 21, became airborne, then
impacted the ground, sheering off the left main
landing gear. The pilot said that no weather
briefing was obtained prior to the flight, and
the windsock at the airport was missing. He
estimated the winds crossing runway 21 were from
260 degrees to 270 degrees, gusting over 10
knots. The pilot said that just as he was
lifting off the ground, the airplane stalled and
he lowered the nose. The wind blew the airplane
off the side of the runway and he applied rudder
and aileron to correct back over the runway;
however, the wind continued to push the airplane
to the side toward an embankment. He retarded
the throttle as the airplane settled to the
ground. The
density altitude was computed at 7,400
feet at the time of the accident. Review of the
airplane's FAA approved flight manual disclosed
that the maximum factory demonstrated crosswind
performance capability is 11 knots for a takeoff
configuration.
The National Transportation Safety Board
determines the probable cause(s) of this
accident as follows:
the pilot's decision to attempt takeoff in
crosswind conditions that likely exceeded the
capability of the airplane, and, his subsequent
failure to maintain the airplane's proper
alignment over the runway. Also causal was the
pilot's premature liftoff and subsequent failure
to attain sufficient airspeed for the ambient
conditions, which resulted in a stall mush. The
crosswind and
high density altitude were factors.
Airport Approach / Landing:
