Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Compton, California 90221
Saturday, April 4, 1992 13:08 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DURING TAKEOFF CLIMB. WITNESSES REPORTED 'SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FALL STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND.' FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE AND COULD FIND NO PRE-EXISTING DEFICIENCIES WHICH WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. EXAMINATION OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK ENTRIES SHOWED NO ENTRIES FOR A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK, HE LAST LOGGED A FLIGHT ON MARCH 26, 1990. FRIENDS OF THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD PERIODICALLY FLOWN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE SINCE HE PURCHASED IT IN MARCH 1992. A WITNESS ALSO REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT ATTEMPTED POWER OFF STALLS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. A DILIGENT SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BY THE FAA TO DETERMINE IF THE PILOT HAD A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE DILIGENT SEARCH CONCLUDED THAT A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS NOT ON FILE WITH THE FAA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

1) A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, 2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, AND 3) THE INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO A STALL SPIN. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND 2) THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/4/1992
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1308
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City COMPTON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90221
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 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 3000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
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) --
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) 2050
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46842
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 N3DW
NTSB Number LAX92LA167
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 Bede Aircraft
Aircraft Model BD-5
Aircraft Series Identifier BD-5
Aircraft Serial Number 1267
Certified Max Gross Weight 950
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jul 20 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT & CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5412 WACKERTON ST
Aircraft Owner City LONG BEACH
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90808
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROBERT & CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 5412 WACKERTON ST
Operator City LONG BEACH
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 90808
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1305
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 Oct 10 2002 3:48PM
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 --