Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chino Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chino, California 91710
Sunday, July 7, 1996 14:41 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was modified with a 180-hp Lycoming O-360 engine and a Cessna 172 fuel system (tanks, fuel vents, and fuel selector valve.) Each wing tank holds 20 usable gallons; total fuel capacity 40 gallons. The pilot this was the first flight in this aircraft, and her first solo banner tow flight. Her prior flight experience was gained primarily in a Cessna 210 and North American T-28. The pilot reported that she had returned to the airport after a 3-hour mission and entered the traffic pattern to drop the banner. The engine quit on downwind. The pilot dropped the banner and attempted to make the runway, but landed about 30 feet short in the dirt and nosed over in soft soil. The pilot stated that following the engine failure she lowered full flaps. The pilot reported that she had been feeding off the right tank during the last 40 minutes or so of the flight and may have forgotten to reposition the selector to the both position before entering the traffic pattern and inadvertently ran one tank dry. The pilot noted that this aircraft has a fuel system significantly different from the other banner towing aircraft in the operator's fleet that she flew in during the dual banner towing training flights. She said she repeatedly asked the operator for a manual on the aircraft to learn the system differences but was told that one was not available. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and found no fuel in the right tank and about 13 gallons in the left. An engine test was subsequently run using the aircrafts fuel and ignition systems; the engine started on the first attempt and ran normally.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to monitor and correctly configure the fuel system for landing prior to entering the traffic pattern, and the pilot's premature lowering of full flaps which led to the runway undershoot. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the type of operation and in this highly modified aircraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/7/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1441 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | CHINO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91710 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CHINO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CNO |
| 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 | 650 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1446 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CNO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 640 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 35 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 896 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 7 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:12AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N50814 |
| NTSB Number | LAX96LA266 |
| 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 | 150J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15069569 |
| 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 | May 16 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 42 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HAROLD G. SPENCER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 345 S. MAIN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | AURORA |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84620 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TOM KING AERIAL ENTERPRISES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7000 MERRILL AVENUE, HANGER 3 |
| Operator City | CHINO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91710 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CNO |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | 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 | 21 |
| Runway Length | 6032 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |