Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Avalon, California 90704
Wednesday, May 27, 1992 13:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING AND FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE 30 MINUTE FLIGHT FROM CATALINA ISLAND TO THE MAINLAND AT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT THE PRIVATE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, THE PILOT STATED TO HIM THAT HE HAD AN IFR CLEARANCE ON FILE, BUT HE MIGHT GO VFR ON RUNWAY 4. THE PILOT THEN TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 22 AND CALLED ON THE UNICOM READY FOR DEPARTURE. THE MANAGER GAVE THE PILOT THE ALTIMETER SETTING AND WIND THEN THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED. THE MANAGER STATED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS SKY OBSCURED WITH AN INDEFINITE CEILING. HE SAID THE VISIBILITY FOR RUNWAY 22 WAS .25 OF A MILE WHILE THE VISIBILITY FOR RUNWAY 4 WAS 1 MILE. THE PILOT NEVER OPENED HIS FLIGHT PLAN. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER BY A MOTORIST ABOUT ONE HALF MILE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AND ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW THE RUNWAY ELEVATION. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS MEASURED TO BE ABOUT 358 DEGREES MAGNETIC. GROUND SCAR MEASUREMENTS INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A RIGHT 10 DEGREE BANKED TURN IN A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT IMPACT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

1) IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING, 2) THE PILOTS SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY FOR DEPARTURE WHICH PUT THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY IN AN AREA OF RESTRICTED VISIBILITY AND FOG AFTER LIFTOFF, 3) THE PILOTS INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS, AND 4) HIS FAILURE TO SELECT A PROPER INITIAL ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/27/1992
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City AVALON
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90704
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 5
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 Partial - limited by pilot
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 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
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) --
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2713
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 27 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1440
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47621
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 2:55PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5874S
NTSB Number LAX92FA220
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model S-35
Aircraft Series Identifier S-35
Aircraft Serial Number D-7759
Certified Max Gross Weight 3300
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 Mar 1 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MARIN PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Aircraft Owner Street Address 18 ALEXANDER AVE.
Aircraft Owner City SAUSALITO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94965
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MARIN PILOTS ASSOCIATION
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 18 ALEXANDER AVE.
Operator City SAUSALITO
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94965
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 AXV
Departure City SANTA CATALINA
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1329
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code LGB
Destination City LONG BEACH
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --