Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Casa Grande, Arizona 85222
Friday, April 10, 1992 7:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS ON A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, INCLUDING ROTATION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE, FAILED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND A FORCED LANDING AREA WAS SELECTED ON A RURAL DIRT ROAD. AS THE PILOT WAS PREPARING TO LAND, A SCHOOL BUS OCCUPIED THE LANDING ZONE, AND THE PILOT THEN SELECTED AN ADJACENT ROAD. DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK TREES LOCATED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAA PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION, BUT PLACARDED AS THE MAIN TANK POSITION. THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN WING FUEL TANKS CONTAINED FUEL; HOWEVER A HEADER TANK WAS EMPTY. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT ON THE EVENING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE HEADER TANK, WHICH HAS A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 5 GALLONS. THE PILOT, WHO HAS ABOUT 10 HOURS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE, DID NOT REMEMBER WHAT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN REQUIRING A PLACARD DETAILING THE FUEL HANDLE POSITIONS, AND INSTALLATION OF MECHANICAL STOPS AND A MOVABLE GATE TO PRECLUDE INADVERTENT SELECTION OF THE OFF POSITION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SELECT THE PROPER FUEL TANK AND SUBSEQUENT FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS AN INADEQUATE DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT PERMITTED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BE ROTATED 360 DEGREES, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/10/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | CASA GRANDE |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85222 |
| 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 | 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) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1997 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46736 |
| 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 | N115DM |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA176 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCEWEN DICK |
| Aircraft Model | GLASAIR III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GLASAIR II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3029 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2700 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 2 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 7 |
| Airframe Hours | 127 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROTHWEILER, CHARLES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1256 W. CHANDLER BLVD. #16 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHANDLER |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85224 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROTHWEILER, CHARLES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1256 W. CHANDLER BLVD. #16 |
| Operator City | CHANDLER |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85224 |
| 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 | P10 |
| Departure City | CHANDLER |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 700 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |