N38YK

On October 23, 2016, a Yakovlev YAK (N38YK) was involved in an incident near Tracy, CA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s unstabilized approach and delayed application of full throttle for a go-around, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent.

The pilot of the high performance airplane reported that on his third simulated forced landing, while turning left base to final in a slip, he realized that the airplane was too low, and not aligned with the runway. He applied full throttle to go-around. The airplane responded suddenly by changing attitude, but continued to descend and impacted terrain and the airport perimeter fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

The pilot further reported that the slow airspeed coupled with the unexpected high torque from advancing the throttle during an uncoordinated left turn were factors in the accident.

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA17CA034. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N38YK.