N55JA

On January 8, 1994, about 0945 hours Pacific standard time, a Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 Islander, N55JA, landed short of a dirt airstrip at Santa Rosa Island, California. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) sightseeing flight to the Channel Islands National Park under Title 14 CFR Part 135 when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Channel Islands Aviation, Camarillo, California, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot and nine passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed from the Camarillo airport about 0900 hours.

The accident was reported to the National Transportation Safety Board by the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Aircraft Services, on January 21, 1994. A National Park ranger, who serves as the island tour interpreter, was a passenger on the flight. He reported that the airplane was one of two airplanes that landed for a park tour. The airplane landed hard when it touched down short of the 3,000 foot runway. After the tour, the airplane and passengers returned to Camarillo.

On February 3, 1994, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations inspector, Van Nuys Flight Standards District Office, reported that after inspection the operator discovered damage to the inboard trailing edge of the left wing and flap. A 2 1/2- foot section of the rear wing spar was replaced.

The pilot reported that he encountered a large downdraft while on final approach to the private airstrip. The airplane landed about 10 feet short of the beginning of the dirt strip.

The pilot holds an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and instrument airplane. Additionally, the pilot has commercial pilot privileges with an airplane single-engine land rating. The most recent first-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on August 20, 1994, and contained the limitation that the pilot must wear corrective lenses.

The pilot did not include any record of his total aeronautical experience in the pilot/operator report that he submitted on this accident. The aeronautical experience listed on page 6 of this report was obtained from a review of the airmen FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City.

According to the FAA, the pilot's total aeronautical experience consists of about 4,589 hours. The pilot reported that he had accrued 6.3 hours as pilot-in-command in the accident airplane.