Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Jackson, California 95642
Monday, May 3, 1993 15:03 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CERTIFICATED, NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, DEPARTED ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT OF ABOUT 460 NAUTICAL MILES WITHOUT REFUELING. ABOUT 19 MILES SHORT OF THE INTENDED DESTINATION, WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MANEUVERING AT TREE TOP LEVEL OVER HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. THIRTY MILLILITERS OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE PROPELLER DID NOT DISPLAY ANY SIGNS OF ENGINE POWER BEING PRODUCED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY CALCULATE THE REQUIRED FUEL FOR THE FLIGHT AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE FAILURE OF THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, AND ADEQUATELY EVALUATE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, WERE FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/3/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1503
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City JACKSON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95642
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1455 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 256
Weather Observation Facility ID MHR
Elevation of weather observation facility 96
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 37
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 4000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2800
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 19
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1548
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 5 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9494B
NTSB Number LAX93FA202
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 175
Aircraft Series Identifier 175
Aircraft Serial Number 55294
Certified Max Gross Weight 2350
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 18 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIAM E. LEWALLEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4861 ARTESIA RD.
Aircraft Owner City SHINGLE SPRINGS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95682
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 BLH
Departure City BLYTHE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1015
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PVF
Destination City PLACERVILLE
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --