Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Desert Center, California 92239
Saturday, October 11, 1997 13:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft is equipped with dual electronic ignition instead of magnetos. After leveling off on top, the pilot noticed that his panel indicated a loss of electrical power. After the battery was depleted, the engine quit and the aircraft descended into IMC conditions. After breaking out, he initiated a forced landing. The aircraft struck a berm and slid to a stop. The pilot stated that the alternator switch was on and that the alternator out warning light had not illuminated prior to his electrical loss. After recovery, the batteries were charged and the engine was started. When the alternator switch was moved to the off position, the alternator out warning light did not illuminate. The continuity of the light bulb was confirmed. The light socket failed a similar continuity check. The flight instructor who checked the pilot out in the aircraft reported that he did not always use the checklist and had forgotten to turn the alternator switch on before starting on several occasions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to the eventual loss of electrical power which resulted from the pilot's failure to ensure the alternator switch was on as specified in the before starting checklist. The inoperative alternator out warning light was a factor in this accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/11/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | DESERT CENTER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92239 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1251 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 103 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BLH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 397 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 38 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| 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) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1552 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 11 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1516 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N153JC |
| NTSB Number | LAX98LA025 |
| 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 | Ciernia |
| Aircraft Model | GLASAIR-III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GLASAIR-II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3236 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 11 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 20 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES RICHARD CIERNIA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 153 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN LUIS OBISPO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93401 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PHX |
| Departure City | PHOENIX |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SBP |
| Destination City | SAN LUIS OBISPO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |