Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hayward Air Terminal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hayward, California 94541
Sunday, February 26, 1995 15:22 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE BLIMP HAD A HISTORY OF UNRESOLVED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHARGING PROBLEMS. THE GROUND CREW WERE GIVEN RIDES AFTER THE LAST REVENUE FLIGHT. AS ONE OF THE GROUND CREW GOT IN FOR HIS RIDE, HE ACCIDENTLY MOVED THE MIXTURE AND KILLED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE THEN SAID HE HAD A LOW-BATTERY WARNING LIGHT, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH OF A CHARGE TO MAKE ONE MORE CIRCUIT. THE PASSENGER SAID THE LOW-BATTERY LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. ON APPROACH, THE PILOT WENT AROUND DUE TO A WIND GUST. ON THE SECOND DOWNWIND, THE VOLTAGE DROPPED TO 4 AND THE PILOT TURNED DIRECTLY TOWARD THE LANDING AREA. AT THAT POINT, THE ELECTRICAL SERVOS WHICH MOVE THE CONTROL SURFACES STOPPED WORKING DUE TO THE LOW VOLTAGE. THE BLIMP HIT THE GRASS SHORT OF THE LANDING ZONE AND BOUNCED ALONG THE GROUND UNTIL IT STOPPED NEAR THE TOP OF A BERM. THE PILOT TOLD THE PASSENGER TO GET OUT AND HOLD THE BLIMP DOWN. THE PASSENGER TRIPPED AS HE GOT OUT AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL. WHEN HE GOT BACK ON HIS FEET, THE BLIMP WAS RISING WITH THE PILOT HOLDING ON TO A HOLD DOWN RAIL. THE PILOT LOST HIS GRIP AND FELL FROM 200 FEET. POSTACCIDENT TESTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT A SHORT IN THE STARTER SWITCH WAS CONSTANTLY DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE SWITCH WIRING WAS NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FACTORY STANDARDS OR THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's decision to operate the blimp with a known and unresolved deficiency in the electrical system, which led to a loss of the flight controls and the pilot's improper remedial actions after the blimp came to rest on the ground.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/26/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1522 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | HAYWARD |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94541 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HAYWARD AIR TERMINAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HWD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 47 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1525 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HWD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 47 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 392 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 26 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1550 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N28SQ |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA121 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Thunder and Colt |
| Aircraft Model | GA42 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GA42 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1140 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2423 |
| Aircraft Category | Blimp |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 27 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 1047 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KEITH A. HIRSCH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1186 CARNELIAN DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN JOSE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95122 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HWD |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1514 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | 28L |
| Runway Length | 5024 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |