Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lancaster, California 93536
Sunday, January 1, 1995 17:10 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS WERE ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN THEY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD WHEN A CAR GOT IN THE WAY. THE PILOT THEN SET UP TO LAND IN A DESERT AREA ADJACENT TO THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND SHEARED OFF THE LANDING GEAR. A FAA INSPECTOR FOUND THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS POSITIONED TO A FUEL TANK THAT WAS EMPTY. THE OTHER THREE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL. THE FUEL PUMP FUNCTIONED NORMALLY WHEN ACTIVATED WITH AIRCRAFT BATTERY POWER, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO A TANK CONTAINING FUEL. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES FROM THE FIREWALL TO THE FUEL PUMP. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND INSTALLED IN A TEST CELL. THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT HESITATION AND WAS EXERCISED THROUGHOUT ITS NORMAL POWER RANGE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to select a tank containing fuel.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/1/1995
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1710
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City LANCASTER
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93536
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 1
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 1646 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID WJF
Elevation of weather observation facility 2347
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 10000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 70
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) 30
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 1
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 301
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 1 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1735
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 3:59PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N200AW
NTSB Number LAX95LA070
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 AERO COMMANDER
Aircraft Model 200D
Aircraft Series Identifier 200D
Aircraft Serial Number 383
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 4 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 29
Airframe Hours 1330
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID L. WHITE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4040 KNOX AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City ROSAMOND
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93560
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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 APV
Departure City APPLE VALLEY
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1655
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code L00
Destination City ROSAMOND
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency 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 --