Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Independence, California 93526
Saturday, May 2, 1992 9:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PIPER NAVAJO HAD NOT FLOWN FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS. DURING PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED FOR CHARGING BY THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR, THE BATTERY BOX WAS CLEANED AND PAINTED. THE OPERATOR ADVISED THAT THE BATTERY WAS OVER 3 YEARS OLD PLUS THE 9 MONTHS OF NON USE RENDERED THE BATTERY NON RELIABLE AND RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE REPLACED. THE PILOT CHOOSE NOT TO CHANGE THE BATTERY. THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE MAIN TANKS BE TOPPED. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR A SHORT TIME. THE NEXT DAY (DAY OF THE ACCIDENT) THE PILOT, WHILE PREFLIGHTING THE AIRPLANE, DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS AGAIN DEAD SO HE REQUESTED AN EXTERNAL POWER CART FOR STARTING. ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THE PILOT STATED THAT BOTH ENGINES QUIT WHILE ON THE AUX TANKS. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NO ELECTRICAL POWER FOR FUEL BOOST PUMPS OR STARTERS. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH ELECTRICAL POWER LINES DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING ATTEMPT IN AN ALFALFA FIELD.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO 1) THE PILOTS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING PREPARATION, 2) THE PILOT'S FUEL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT, AND 3) HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN THE AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DETERIORATED CONDITION OF THE AIRPLANE BATTERY, AND, 2) THE PILOTS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/2/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | INDEPENDENCE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93526 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4120 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 45 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2745 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 2 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47531 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N59781 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA194 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-325 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-325 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7612023 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6500 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1750 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CROSS COUNTRY CONSTRUCTION,INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O.B. 5966 |
| Aircraft Owner City | INCLINE VILLAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89450 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CROSS COUNTRY CONSTRUCTION,INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O.B. 5966 |
| Operator City | INCLINE VILLAGE |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89450 |
| 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 | HMT |
| Departure City | HEMET |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 004 |
| Destination City | CARSON CITY |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | -- |