Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hesperia, California 92345
Friday, April 15, 1994 22:32 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT DEPARTED AT NIGHT FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT AFTER AN EN ROUTE STOP. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, ABOUT 200' ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE POWER & SELECTED A FORCED LANDING AREA. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BUSH, SEPARATING THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING. THE PILOT RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE & CONDUCTED SEVERAL POST-CRASH INSPECTIONS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED A LEAK AT THE GASCOLATOR GASKET. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THE GASCOLATOR WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED & THE FUEL SCREEN WAS MISSING. ALSO, THE LIP OF THE GASCOLATOR BOWL HAD 2 GOUGES, THE GASKET WAS TOO SMALL FOR THE INSTALLATION, & THE GASKET APPEARED TO HAVE ALLOWED AIR INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAA INSPECTOR COULD NOT DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT THE PILOT'S POST-CRASH INSPECTION HAD ON THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ABOUT 25 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO AN AIR LEAK AT THE GASCOLATOR GASKET, WHICH WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED DURING MAINTENANCE. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/15/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2232 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | HESPERIA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92345 |
| 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 | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2258 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DAG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 38 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1340 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 45 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4129J |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA189 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-22450 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 2 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 4550 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AVIONIX INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4080 PARADISE RD 15 BOX 198 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89109 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GEORGE ABERNATHY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 6848-253 |
| Operator City | BIG BEAR LAKE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92315 |
| 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 | 2230 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | L35 |
| Destination City | BIG BEAR CITY |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |