Oakland International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Oakland, California 94621
Sunday, May 14, 1995 10:03 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE EXITED A 3,366 FEET-LONG BY 75-FEET WIDE ASPHALT-SURFACED RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AFTER THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT SAID THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. ONE OF THE THREE PASSENGERS SAID THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO HESITATE, BUT NOT MISFIRE; THE REMAINING TWO PASSENGERS SAID THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. THE PASSENGERS SAID THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 1/2 AND 3/4 DISTANCE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE CALCULATED THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT; THE AIRPLANE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS' CALCULATIONS, USING THE ACTUAL OCCUPANTS' WEIGHTS AND THEIR ESTIMATE OF THEIR PERSONAL BAGGAGE WEIGHTS, DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE EXCEEDED ITS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT BY 215.7 POUNDS; THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS WITHIN ITS NORMAL RANGE. THE POSTACCIDENT ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's poor preflight planning/preparation by exceeding the airplane certificated maximum allowable takeoff gross weight and failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. The ditch was a factor in this accident.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/14/1995
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1003
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City OAKLAND
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94621
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OAK
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 6
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1005 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID OAK
Elevation of weather observation facility 6
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
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) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
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 Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 228
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 14 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1020
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:16PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N34938
NTSB Number LAX95LA187
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 177RG
Aircraft Series Identifier 177RG
Aircraft Serial Number 177RG1026
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
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 Nov 4 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 57
Airframe Hours 3991
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ALAMEDA AERO CLUB
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 1043
Aircraft Owner City ALAMEDA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94501
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code OAK
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RDD
Destination City REDDING
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 33
Runway Length 3366
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --