Reid-Hillview Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Jose, California 95148
Saturday, February 22, 1992 19:40 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A CESSNA 150 CRASHED AFTER EXPERIENCING AN IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 31R THE CFI TRANSMITTED A 'MAY DAY' CALL TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER STATING THE AIRPLANE HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER CLEARED THE FLIGHT TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT EXECUTED A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LANDED LONG ON RUNWAY 13L. THE CFI THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CLIMB TO 50 FEET AND THEN ENTER A RIGHT SKIDDING TURN, STALL, AND SPIN, IMPACTING THE GROUND OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. THE CFI INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD PREVIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONED WITH A STICKING VALVE AND THOUGHT THE VALVE WAS STICKING AGAIN. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMIATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER ROCKER ARM VALVE MALFUNCTIONED AS A RESULT OF A FRACTURED ROCKER ARM SHAFT BOSS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THAT THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S (CFI) MISJUDGED APPROACH WHICH RESULTED IN A LONG LANDING, THE CFI'S IN-FLIGHT DECISION TO A GO-AROUND WITH PARTIAL POWER, AND THE FAILURE OF THE CFI TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL IN THE INITIAL CLIMB SEGMENT OF THE PARTIAL POWER GO-AROUND RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE OPERATOR'S MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AFTER THE INITIAL STUCK VALVE DEFICIENCY AND THE DECISION OF THE CFI TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE WITH A KNOWN DISCREPANCY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/22/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1940
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City SAN JOSE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95148
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport REID-HILLVIEW
Event Location Nearest Airport ID RHV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 130
Airport Elevation 133
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1935 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID RHV
Elevation of weather observation facility 133
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
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) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 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) 358
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46459
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:45PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N126NK
NTSB Number LAX92LA124
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 150
Aircraft Series Identifier 150
Aircraft Serial Number 15073390
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 Dec 31 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 68
Airframe Hours 3565
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name VEDA CORPORATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2660 JOHN MONTGOMERY DR.
Aircraft Owner City SAN JOSE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95148
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name VEDA CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 2660 JOHN MONTGOMERY DR.
Operator City SAN JOSE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95148
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1730
Departure Time Zone PST
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 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 13
Runway Length 3101
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --