Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Baxter, California 95704
Sunday, April 12, 1992 13:02 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT CALLED CENTER WHILE AIRBORNE AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLEARANCE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER RECEIVING THE CLEARANCE, THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A VECTOR FOR TRAFFIC. THE PILOT SAID HE NEEDED HELP AND ASKED IF HE WAS ON COURSE. THE PILOT THEN SAID HE WAS IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND COULDN'T DETERMINE WHY. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER THE PILOT SAID 'OKAY I'LL AH WE MIGHT BE IN A SPIN.' THE CONTROLLER SAID THAT HE WAS SHOWING THE AIRPLANE AS LEVEL AND ASKED IF THE PILOT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. THE PILOT SAID 'YES OUR VACUUM AH OUR ARTIFICAL GYRO IS SHOWNG US AT A VERY UNUSUAL ATTITUDE.' THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS WITH WINGS SEPARATING FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE HAD A VACUUM SYSTEM PROBLEM WHICH WAS RECORDED AS REPAIRED AND CHECKED AS OK ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD ABOUT 4 HOURS OF ACTUAL AND ABOUT 56 HOURS SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME. THE VACUUM PUMP WAS DESTROYED IN THE IMPACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

1) A PARTIAL LOSS OF THE AIRPLANE'S VACUUM SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, 2) THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND 3) THE PILOT NOT CORRECTING FOR A SPIRAL BY USING PROPER RECOVERY TECHNIQUES WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WINGS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL INSTURMENT FLIGHT EXPEREINCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/12/1992
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1302
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City BAXTER
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95704
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
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 Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 5
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2772
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47557
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:51PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9TG
NTSB Number LAX92FA174
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model P210N
Aircraft Series Identifier P210N
Aircraft Serial Number P21000012
Certified Max Gross Weight 4000
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 Feb 4 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 35
Airframe Hours 1125
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMAT, INCORPORATED
Aircraft Owner Street Address ORDWAY BUILDING, SUITE 701
Aircraft Owner City OAKLAND
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94612
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AMAT, INCORPORATED
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address ORDWAY BUILDING, SUITE 701
Operator City OAKLAND
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94612
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 TRK
Departure City TRUCKEE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code OAK
Destination City OAKLAND
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --