Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Santa Monica Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Monica, California 90405
Wednesday, April 20, 1994 11:23 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER A CROSS-COUNTRY INTERMEDIATE STOP, THE PILOT DEPARTED FOR THE LAST PORTION OF HIS FLIGHT. JUST AFTER LIFT-OFF, WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN QUIT. THE PILOT BEGAN A 180-DEGREE RIGHT TURN AND ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 300 AND 400 FEET. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AND STRUCK A UTILITY POLE AND A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE. A POSTCRASH FIRE BEGAN AT THE RIGHT WING AND PROGRESSED ALONG THE GROUND TOWARD THE LEFT WING. THE RIGHT WING WAS DESTROYED. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING WAS PUNCTURED AT THE INBOARD FUEL TANK; HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING RECEIVED NO CHARRING OR PAINT BLISTERING, ONLY SOOTING PRIMARILY ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE LEFT TANK. SIXTEEN OUNCES OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT WING. ABOUT 1 GALLON OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT WING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
fuel starvation resulting from the failure of the pilot to select a tank containing fuel, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/20/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1123 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SANTA MONICA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90405 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SANTA MONICA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SMO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 172 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1124 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 172 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1098 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 20 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1145 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8171G |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA198 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8029052 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 21 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 2009 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHRISTOPHER NASSIF |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11694 PICTURESQUE DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | STUDIO CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91604 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PATRICK D. BRINNON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8500 AURA AVENUE |
| Operator City | NORTHRIDGE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91324 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1123 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VNY |
| Destination City | VAN NUYS |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 4987 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |