LAX98LA099

Factual narrative

On March 1, 1998, at 1641 hours Pacific standard time, a Sweet-House RD Mustang 2, N546SH, collided with terrain short of the runway 30 at the Madera, California, airport while attempting to land. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local personal flight began at 1600 and was terminating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he was on approach to runway 30. As he initiated the flare, he felt "the airplane bleed off airspeed quicker than anticipated," and realized that "the aircraft was quickly starting to stall." The pilot reported that he "knew that [he] was too high and applied power to arrest the stall [but] the left wing dropped [and] seemed to start flying again when power was applied." The pilot further reported that he then attempted to abort the landing and execute a go-around but the aircraft veered to the left off the runway. The left wingtip impacted the ground and the pilot reported that he then "had no control over the aircraft." The propeller and engine then impacted the ground and the right wing broke off at the wing splice point. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he had logged only 1 hour in this type of aircraft. The pilot reported that he was on approach to runway 30. As he initiated the flare, he felt the airplane bleed off airspeed quicker than anticipated and realized that 'the aircraft was quickly starting to stall.' The pilot stated that he knew that he was too high and applied power to arrest the stall but the left wing dropped and seemed to start flying again when power was applied. The pilot then attempted to abort the landing and execute a go-around but the aircraft veered to the left off the runway. The left wingtip contacted the ground, followed by the engine and right wing. The right wing broke off at the wing splice point and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he had logged only 1 hour in this type of aircraft. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12