Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Torrance Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Torrance, California 90505
Friday, March 29, 1996 10:01 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft (acft) had been inactive in outside storage since early 1989. The pilot purchased the acft & had an annual inspection performed, which was completed on 3/28/96. On 3/29/96, he & a flight instructor (CFI) took off on the 1st flight after the inspection. One engine began to run rough & lose power. The pilots turned back toward the airport, but before they reached the runway (rwy), the 2nd engine quit running. On short final, the 1st engine, which had been running rough, also quit running. There was insufficient altitude to reach the rwy; during touchdown short of the rwy, the acft was damaged. Maintenance records stated that during the annual inspection, new fuel lines were installed & both gascolators were cleaned & inspected. The recorded entry of annual inspection noted 'All fuel and oil lines checked, all accessories inspected.' During a postaccident inspection, rust colored deposits were found in both gascolators, & water was noted in the left gascolator bowl. Both gascolator screens were dark in appearance with water corrosion. Dark colored contamination was found in the left & right fuel servo inlet screens. The shaft of the left engine's left magneto had a wobble, & its drive coupling was cracked. The right engine's left magneto did not produce a spark, when tested. Also, contamination (oil & corrosion) were found inside the right engine's right magneto housing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate maintenance and inspection of the airplane; rust and water contamination in the aircraft fuel system; a worn shaft and cracked coupling in the left engine's left magneto, a malfunctioning left magneto on the right engine, and contamination (oil and corrosion) in the right magneto housing of the right engine; all of which resulted in loss of power in both engines and a subsequent forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/29/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1001 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | TORRANCE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90505 |
| 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 | TORRANCE MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TOA |
| 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 | 101 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 957 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TOA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 101 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 543 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 29 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| 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 | N14260 |
| NTSB Number | LAX96LA147 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27-4821 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 27 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 1914 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES W. ALFORD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 857 BUNGALOW STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | EL SEGUNDO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90245 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CARL J. CONGDON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 2893 |
| Operator City | SOLDOTNA |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99669 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TOA |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| 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 | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 11L |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |