Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clearlake, California 95422
Sunday, November 15, 1992 16:51 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE IN CRUISE FLIGHT ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT, WHO WAS BEING FLIGHT FOLLOWED BY AN FAA CENTER, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. WITHIN ABOUT 2 MINUTES THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY QUIT. THE PILOT ENTERED A POWER OFF FORCED LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH HILLY TERRAIN. NO SUITABLE TERRAIN WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE FORCED LANDING AND THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS 'DUSK TO DARK.' THE PILOT AND ONE OF HIS PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AN OFF SITE EXAMINATION AND TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE STEM BROKE JUST ABOVE THE VALVE HEAD. THE VALVE HEAD FELL INTO THE CYLINDER AND THE ACTION OF THE PISTON CAUSED A HOLE TO BE BROKEN THROUGH THE PISTON CENTER CROWN STRUCTURE. THE VALVE HEAD WAS FOUND WEDGED BETWEEN THE CRANKCASE STRUCTURE AND THE CRANKSHAFT, PREVENTING CRANKSHAFT ROTATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE EXHAUST VALVE FAILING DUE TO A COMPLETE FRACTURE WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSE OF ENGINE POWER. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE TERRAIN NOT BEING SUITABLE FOR A FORCED LANDING, AND 2) LOW AMBIENT LIGHT WHICH HAMPERED THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO SEE THE TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1651 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | CLEARLAKE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95422 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | 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 | Dusk |
| 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) | 10 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 849 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 15 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 50011 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N51198 |
| NTSB Number | LAX93FA042 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | TU-206F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TU-206F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U20601977 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 16 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 5746 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FALCON AERIAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2777 CLEVLAND AVENUE 113 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA ROSA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95403 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FALCON AERIAL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2777 CLEVLAND AVENUE 113 |
| Operator City | SANTA ROSA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95403 |
| 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 | STS |
| Departure City | SANTA ROSA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1620 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CIC |
| Destination City | CHICO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |