Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mettler, California 93313
Monday, August 15, 1994 21:35 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE TO GROUND CONTROLLERS AND WAS GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR TOWARD A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, BUT HE HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A NIGHT FORCED LANDING IN THE CENTER MEDIAN OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR WHO FOUND THAT THE RIGHT HAND HEAT EXCHANGER INTERNAL BAFFLING WAS DETERIORATED, ALLOWING STAINLESS STEEL MATERIAL TO LOOSEN AND EXIT OUT THE EXHAUST PIPE. IN THE SAME SECTION OF EXHAUST PIPE, A 1/4-INCH BOLT WAS INSTALLED TO RETAIN THE PIPE ON THE EXHAUST ASSEMBLY. THE BOLT WAS FOUND TO BE A NONSTANDARD INSTALLATION AND PROTRUDED 1/2 INCH INTO THE PIPE FORMING A RESTRICTION WHICH COULD COLLECT PIECES OF THE LOOSE BAFFLING MATERIAL. THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE CYLINDER WAS CRACKED ON THE EXHAUST SIDE OF THE HEAD. ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE WORN. THE RIGHT HAND MAGNETO WAS AN INCOMPATIBLE MODEL WITH THE CONTINENTAL O-200 SERIES ENGINES AND COULD NOT BE TIMED TO THE ENGINE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a loss of engine power due to inadequate and improper maintenance procedures and practices. A factor in the accident was the dark night lighting conditions which inhibited the pilot's ability to select a suitable forced landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/15/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2135 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | METTLER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93313 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2150 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 11 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 507 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| 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 | 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) | 786 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 15 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2235 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N714GV |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA324 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 150M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15079173 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 28 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 92 |
| Airframe Hours | 5000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BELAID A. GHEREBI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 83482 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN DIEGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92138 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SORBI FLYING SERVICE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8763 NAVAJO ROAD, #3 |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92119 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BFL |
| Departure City | BAKERSFIELD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2110 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MYF |
| Destination City | SAN DIEGO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |