Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Wednesday, July 22, 1992 11:52 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS COMPLETING A VISUAL PERSONAL FLIGHT. HE RECEIVED VECTORS TO RUNWAY 19 FINAL APPROACH COURSE AND WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THE PILOT APPLIED ADDITIONAL THROTTLE. THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RESPONDED AND THEN CONTINUED TO MISS. THE PILOT HEARD A MUFFLED EXPLOSION AND OBSERVED A VERY SMALL PUFF OF WHITE/BLUE SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE ENGINE QUIT WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES FROM THE THRESHOLD AT 2,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO NEGOTIATE THE AIRPORT AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN VACANT LOT. THE AIRPLANE BURST INTO FLAMES AFTER IT CAME TO REST. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT DURING THE RECENT TOP OVERHAUL THE MECHANICS INSTALLED THE WRONG CONNECTING ROD BOLTS THAT WERE IMPROPERLY TORQUED. THE OIL DRAIN PLUG CAME LOOSE WHILE IN FLIGHT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SUSTAIN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE MECHANICS FAILED TO SAFETY THE OIL DRAIN PLUG.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO SAFETY THE ENGINE OIL DRAIN PLUG AND THE POOR ENGINE OVERHAUL. FACTORS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT ARE: OIL STARVATION; THE FAILURE OF THE CONNECTING RODS; THE INCORRECT CONNECTING ROD BOLTS; AND THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS UNDERTORQUE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/22/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1152 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAS VEGAS |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89119 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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) | 35 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2417 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 22 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1235 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47129 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3074F |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA312 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-201 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7918013 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | Jun 15 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 3430 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DEROBERTIS, JOHN & PATRICIA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 25084 OWENS LAKE CIRCLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKE FOREST |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92630 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DEROBERTIS, JOHN & PATRICIA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 25084 OWENS LAKE CIRCLE |
| Operator City | LAKE FOREST |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92630 |
| 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 | L66 |
| Departure City | CORONA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1016 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| 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 | -- |