Compton Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Compton, California 90221
Saturday, January 3, 1998 16:35 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Following loss of engine power, an emergency off-airport landing was made on a city street. Examination of the aircraft revealed an abraded solid aluminum fuel line between the fuel selector valve and the engine. When the fuel selector valve was turned on, a knife-shaped stream of fuel emanated from the line. When viewed with an inspection mirror, the abraded area appeared V-shaped (grooved) and there was a hole approximately 1/16-inch diameter though the wall of the tube at the deepest part of the groove. Dried, crusty fuel stains were present on the fuel line over a distance of approximately 2 inches. Adjacent to the area of the leak there was a BNC-type antenna connector on an unused marker beacon antenna mounted on the lower fuselage. An annual and pre-buy inspection was performed on the aircraft 2.6 months prior to the accident. The hangar proprietor reported that the aircraft had leaked fuel onto the hangar floor since some time before the inspection, and the aircraft's previous owner had turned off the fuel selector to stop the leaking. The aircraft had flown approximately 10 hours since the inspection.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure of maintenance personnel to adequately inspect the aircraft during an annual inspection to detect a chafed and leaking engine fuel supply line.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/3/1998
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1635
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City COMPTON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90221
Event Date Year 1998
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport COMPTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CPM
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 75
Airport Elevation 97
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1656 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID LGB
Elevation of weather observation facility 57
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4200
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
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 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 215
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 3 1998 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1703
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Feb 16 2001 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9406X
NTSB Number LAX98LA067
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 210
Aircraft Series Identifier 210
Aircraft Serial Number 21057706
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 15 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 14
Airframe Hours 2359
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EDWARD G. MARTELL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9731 AZALEA
Aircraft Owner City FOUNTAIN VALLEY
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92708
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 LGB
Departure City LONG BEACH
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1627
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code CPM
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 20 2001 6:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 25L
Runway Length 3670
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --