LAX97LA310

Factual narrative

On September 4, 1997, at 1400 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental (amateur built) Bingelis Antoni Falco F.8L, N84TX, was substantially damaged when it landed short of runway 20 at the Watsonville, California, airport. The certificated airline transport pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. According to the pilot, while on a stabilized final approach, "indicated airspeed 80," the "aircraft settled directly to the ground." He reported that the aircraft "went flat down as though slammed in a subsiding air mass in a matter of seconds." He reported that the wind was light and variable and that the application of engine power did not arrest the descent. At Salinas, California, 19 miles southeast, the surface wind was from 310 degrees at 12 knots and there was no convective weather in the area. The aircraft landed short of the runway in winds the pilot described as light and variable. According to the pilot, while on a stabilized final approach, 'indicated airspeed 80,' the 'aircraft settled directly to the ground.' He reported that the aircraft 'went flat down as though slammed in a subsiding air mass in a matter of seconds.' Also, he reported that the application of engine power did not arrest the descent. At the nearest weather reporting point, 19 miles southeast, the surface wind was 12 knots, and there was no convective weather in the area. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12