Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Paradise, California 95969
Thursday, April 2, 1992 19:54 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE 60 HOUR STUDENT PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 25 HOURS IN TYPE, ALL OF WHICH WERE DUAL. WITH HIS CURRENT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THE STUDENT RETURNED TO THEIR HOME BASE AIRPORT TO PERFORM A PREARRANGED GO-AROUND TO FINALIZE THEIR DUAL PERIOD FOR THE EVENING. AFTER THE APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED FOR THE GO-AROUND. AFTER THE CLIMB WAS ESTABLISHED AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL HE CALLED FOR THE COWL FLAPS TO BE OPENED, AND MOMENTS LATER THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING QUIT. THE INSTRUCTOR SAID THAT AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT THE STUDENT PULLED THE CONTROL YOKE ALL THE WAY BACK AND THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DEEP STALL. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE AN ENGINE WITH MORE HORSE POWER WHICH REQUIRED THE INSTALLATION OF COWL FLAPS. THE FAA APPROVED STC MODIFICATION DRAWINGS REQUIRED THE PUSH-PULL CONTROL FOR THE COWL FLAPS TO BE LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF THE THROTTLE CONSOLE ON A SEPARATE SWITCH PANEL. THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THAT CONTROL IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO THE RIGHT OF THE THROTTLE BELOW THE PROPELLER CONTROL AND NEXT TO

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT'S INADVERTENT USE OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL INSTEAD OF THE COWL FLAPS AT A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT, HIS MISUSE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE NON STANDARD LOCATION OF THE COWL FLAP PUSH PULL CONTROL, DUE TO AN IMPROPER AIRCRAFT MODIFICATION, THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS WHICH IMPAIRED THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS ABILITY TO MONITOR THE STUDENT COCKPIT CONTROL MANIPULATIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/2/1992
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1954
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City PARADISE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95969
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 4
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2177
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 2 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2050
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46950
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:51PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9367Y
NTSB Number LAX92FA161
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A33
Aircraft Series Identifier A33
Aircraft Serial Number CD-262
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Unknown
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 Aug 23 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 61
Airframe Hours 4686
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DESMET, JEFFREY G.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1122 ELLIOTT RD.
Aircraft Owner City PARADISE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95969
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DESMET, JEFFREY G.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
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 Approach
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --