Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Imperial County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Imperial, California 92251
Saturday, November 18, 1995 15:07 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airport elevation is 56 feet below sea level. In the pilot's navigation logs under the destination airport field elevation column, '-56' was entered with '(950alt)' written next to it. The traffic pattern altitude is listed as '944 msl (1,000 agl)' in the airport facility directory. The FBO line person who communicated with the pilot observed the first landing approach and reported that it appeared to be a little high. The aircraft then initiated a go-around and made right traffic for runway 32. Ground witnesses reported that during the aircraft's traffic pattern following the go-around, the aircraft flew an extremely low pattern estimated at 100 feet agl. The pilot then contacted the FBO line person on the radio a second time. The witness stated that the pilot seemed confused about the traffic pattern altitude and airport elevation. She reportedly ask what the field elevation was, and the witness responded with 60 feet below sea level. The witness stated that the pilot responded, 'I thought it was about 900 feet.' The pilot then terminated the second approach with another go-around. According to the witnesses, the third traffic pattern was flown about the same agl altitude as the second one. Shortly after the pilot reported turning base, the power went off at the airport. A ground witness near the accident site saw the aircraft turn at a very low altitude and collide with a 40-foot-tall power pole about 1/2 mile southeast of the airport. Detailed examination of the aircraft revealed no discrepancies in any system. Review of the sun's location revealed that as the pilot turned from downwind to base, she would have been looking almost directly into the sun.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the student pilot's misreading of the altimeter while in the traffic pattern, which put the aircraft in dangerous proximity to the ground and obstructions. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inability to see the power pole due to sun glare as the aircraft turned onto base from downwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/18/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1507 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | IMPERIAL |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92251 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | IMPERIAL COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ipl |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | -56 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1532 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IPL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2000 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1936 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 18 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1635 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 19 2002 9:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N23102 |
| NTSB Number | LAX96LA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 150H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150H |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15068725 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 25 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 42 |
| Airframe Hours | 4784 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEO D. STEEL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5977 CASTLETON DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN DIEGO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92117 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PLUS ONE FLYERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 87077 |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92138 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PSP |
| Departure City | PALM SPRINGS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | IPL |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | 32 |
| Runway Length | 5304 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |