Cable Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Upland, California 91785
Saturday, March 23, 1996 13:30 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot reported that he recently purchased the aircraft and was in the process of getting it into flyable condition so it could be moved to a maintenance facility at another airport. The pilot stated that after draining and refilling the fuel system several times, he believed that all water had been purged from the system. After a high speed taxi test the pilot decided to try one pattern circuit. Shortly after the takeoff, the engine quit completely. The aircraft had insufficient altitude to return to the airport and the pilot landed in a rock quarry. The airport manager said that the aircraft had been parked on the airport for 6 years, and to his knowledge had not flown in that time. The pilot told the fuel facility staff while he was purchasing 15 gallons of aviation gasoline in metal cans that he had drained a lot of water from the tanks and was still getting some. No records have been found of any annual inspection or other maintenance activity by aircraft mechanics on the aircraft since 1991. The FAA had not issued a ferry permit to move the aircraft.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

fuel system contamination and the pilot's intentional operation of a known unairworthy aircraft.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/23/1996
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City UPLAND
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91785
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CABLE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CCB
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 1439
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
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 Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 277
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 23 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1455
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 9:54AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7044T
NTSB Number LAX96LA143
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 172
Aircraft Series Identifier 172
Aircraft Serial Number 46644
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DANIEL E. BRENNAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6044 PALM AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City WHITTIER
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90601
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code CCB
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1330
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CNO
Destination City CHINO
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 24
Runway Length 3865
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --