Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Gila Bend Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gila Bend, Arizona 85337
Thursday, June 4, 1992 9:17 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS ON THE DELIVERY FLIGHT FROM ARIZONA TO GEORGIA. HE LANDED AT THE AIRPORT FOR A FUEL STOP AND TOOK OFF AFTER TOPPING THE FUEL TANK. THE PILOT SAID HE ATTAINED ABOUT 100 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE POWER LEVEL SUDDENLY REDUCED TO IDLE. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO AFFECT A LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE FUEL SELECTOR IS AN 'ON' OR 'OFF' VALVE WITHOUT DETENTS. ONE QUARTER OF A TURN (90 DEGREES) OF THE VALVE IS THE TOTAL MOTION BETWEEN SETTINGS. THE VALVE HANDLE WAS FOUND ABOUT 15 DEGREES FROM THE FULL ON POSITION. THE PREVIOUS AIRCRAFT OWNER STATED THAT THE FUEL VALVE IS VERY SENSITIVE TO BEING IN AN INTERMEDIATE SETTING. HE SAID THAT IF THE VALVE WERE IN ANYTHING BUT THE FULL ON POSITION, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY POSITION THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE FULL 'ON' SETTING. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE AND THE LOCATION OF THE TEMPORARY RADIO INSTALLATION WHICH LIMITED THE PILOT'S VIEW OF THE SELECTOR VALVE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 917 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | GILA BEND |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85337 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GILA BEND MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | E63 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 778 |
| 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) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 41 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 434 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 4 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1050 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46613 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4045 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA234 |
| 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 | JACANIN |
| Aircraft Model | GREAT LAKES |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GREAT LAKE |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6906F161B |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 850 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 30 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 285 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN H. CONNOR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5 WILD RICE LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAVANNAH |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 31411 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN H. CONNOR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5 WILD RICE LANE |
| Operator City | SAVANNAH |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 31411 |
| 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 | E63 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DGL |
| Destination City | DOUGLASS |
| Destination State | AZ |
| 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 | 4 |
| Runway Length | 3800 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |