Event LAX94LA345

Factual narrative

On September 1, 1994, at 1510 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310L, N3272X, collided with the ground during an attempted go- around at the Agua Dulce, California, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by West Winds Aviation, of Van Nuys, California, and was on a cross-country business transportation flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed in the ground collision sequence. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured; however, two passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight originated at Mammoth Lakes, California, on the day of the accident at 1315 hours as a cross-country flight to Agua Dulce. According to the aircraft owner, who is also a pilot, the aircraft and pilot departed Van Nuys, California, on the morning of the accident, stopped at Agua Dulce to pick up the owner and the other passengers, then proceeded to Mammoth Lakes for a business meeting. The aircraft was returning the passengers to Agua Dulce when the accident happened. The pilot and the aircraft owner both stated that there were no mechanical problems with the aircraft. The pilot was on short final approach to runway 22 when the aircraft drifted right of the runway. The pilot elected to do a go-around and applied full power; both the pilot and the aircraft owner stated that both engines responded with full power. The pilot reached for the flap selector switch and the aircraft began rolling to the left. Before the pilot could correct the left roll, the left wing tip collided with the ground and the aircraft cartwheeled to a stop. The pilot stated that when he observed the windsock while on approach the wind appeared to be directly down the runway. A ground witness, who is also a pilot, reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 250 degrees at 15 knots, with higher gusts of unknown intensity. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, WHO IS ALSO A PILOT, SAID THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT DEPARTED VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, STOPPED AT AGUA DULCE TO PICK UP THE OWNER AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS, THEN PROCEEDED TO MAMMOTH LAKES FOR A BUSINESS MEETING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING THE PASSENGERS TO AGUA DULCE WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED. THE PILOT AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER BOTH SAID THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 22 WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DO A GO-AROUND AND APPLIED FULL POWER; BOTH THE PILOT AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER STATED THAT BOTH ENGINES RESPONDED WITH FULL POWER. THE PILOT REACHED FOR THE FLAP SELECTOR SWITCH AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ROLLING TO THE LEFT. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD CORRECT THE LEFT ROLL, THE LEFT WING TIP COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED TO A STOP. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE WINDSOCK INDICATED THE WIND APPEARED TO BE DIRECTLY DOWN THE RUNWAY. A PILOT WITNESS ON THE GROUND SAID THE WINDS AT THE TIME WERE FROM 250 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, WITH HIGHER GUSTS OF UNKNOWN INTENSITY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12