LAX95LA270

Factual narrative

On July 26, 1995, at 1730 hours Pacific daylight time, a Beech BE-77, N38062, encountered a whirlwind and ground looped while landing on runway 30 at Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California. The airplane exited the runway and its nose gear collapsed when it struck a furrow next to the runway. The student pilot was conducting a local visual flight rules solo instructional flight and was not injured. The airplane, registered to and operated by the student pilot's flight instructor, sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Fresno Air Terminal, Fresno, California, at 1630 hours. The student pilot said in the aircraft accident report that the accident occurred on the second landing. When the main landing gear touched down, a gust of wind turned the airplane 45-degrees to the right. The student pilot said he applied left rudder, but overcorrected. The airplane began skidding down the runway and exited the runway. At the time of the accident, the surface winds were from 270-degrees at 6 knots. THE STUDENT PILOT EXECUTED A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING AT THE AIRPORT AFTER COMPLETING A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE STUDENT SAID THAT ON THE SECOND LANDING THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A STONG GUST OF WIND THAT TURNED THE AIRPLANE 45-DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. HE SAID THAT HE APPLIED EXCESSIVE LEFT RUDDER AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN SKIDDING DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A PLOWED FURROW. A 30-DEGREE CROSSWIND AT 6 KNOTS EXISTED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12