Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Merced Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Merced, California 95340
Monday, April 19, 1993 23:20 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE COMPANY CHIEF PILOT/CHECK PILOT WAS GIVING A CHECK FLIGHT TO A COMPANY FIRST OFFICER (F/O). AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS ABOARD TO OBSERVE THE CHECK PILOT'S ABILITY TO GIVE PROFICIENCY CHECK FLIGHTS. SOON AFTER LIFT-OFF ON THE 2ND TAKEOFF, THE CHECK PILOT SIMULATED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE F/O, WHO WAS WEARING A VISION LIMITING DEVICE, ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT, BUT THE FAA INSPECTOR NOTED THAT THE F/O SUCCESSFULLY REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE INSPECTOR THEN LOOKED AWAY FROM THE COCKPIT, & WHEN HE LOOKED BACK, THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING. MOMENTS LATER, IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE CHECK PILOT WAS LOOKING TO THE LEFT, OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, & DID NOT HAVE HIS HAND NEAR THE POWER QUADRANT. REVIEW OF THE CVR TAPE REVEALED THAT, FROM THE TIME THE F/O WAS GIVEN THE SIMULATED LEFT ENGINE FAILURE UNTIL IMPACT, THE CHECK PILOT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE F/O. NO MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCY OR MATERIAL DEFICIENCY WAS NOTED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THE F/O HAD 3925 HOURS IN THIS MAKE/MODEL OF AIRCRAFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FIRST OFFICER'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE RATE OF CLIMB AFTER A SINGLE-ENGINE LOSS OF POWER WAS SIMULATED, AND THE COMPANY CHECK PILOT'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION AND FAILURE TO NOTE THE DESCENT. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/19/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 2320 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | MERCED |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95340 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MERCED MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MCE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 275 |
| Airport Elevation | 1531 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2355 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MER |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1531 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| 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 | Serious |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 899 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 50460 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N131CA |
| NTSB Number | LAX93FA177 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BRITISH AEROSPACE |
| Aircraft Model | BA 3101 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BA 3101 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 787 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 15212 |
| 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 | 21 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8873 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FIRST SECURITY BANK OF UTAH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 79 S. MAIN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84111 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WESTAIR COMMUTER AIRLINES, INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5570 AIR TERMINAL DRIVE |
| Operator City | FRESNO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93727 |
| Operator Code | WTAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | MCE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2319 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | MCE |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 30 |
| Runway Length | 5904 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |