Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Casa Grande, Arizona 85222
Sunday, May 10, 1992 7:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF A MAINTENANCE PERIOD WHERE PLACARDS WERE INSTALLED ON THE FUEL SELECTOR PANEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR HAS A HANDLE AND A POINTER, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ARE SIMILAR IN SHAPE AND SIZE. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE FROM THE MAIN TANK POSITION SINCE HE PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT. THE VALVE WAS APPARENTLY FOUND IN THE 'HEADER TANK' POSITION AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE HEADER TANK ONLY HOLDS 4 GALLONS OF FUEL AND IS FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE MAIN TANK. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR 15 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE PILOT LINED UP FOR A LANDING ON A ROAD, HOWEVER, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL A SCHOOL BUS TURNED ONTO THE ROAD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT TURNED LEFT TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE BUS AND HIT A LARGE TREE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE PILOT'S MISREADING OF A NEWLY INSTALLED FUEL SELECTOR PANEL WITH PLACARDS AND A POSITION POINTER WHICH WERE CONFUSING. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE CONFUSING NATURE OF THE FUEL PANEL AND PLACARD DESIGN AND THE SCHOOL BUS WHICH SUDDENLY TURNED IN FRONT OF THE LANDING AIRCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/10/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | CASA GRANDE |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85222 |
| 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 | 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3035 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 3 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45803 |
| 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 | N115DM |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA235 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCQUEN |
| Aircraft Model | GLASSAIR III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GLASSAIR I |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3029 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1700 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 122 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHARLES J. ROTHWEILER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 460 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHANDLER |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85224 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CHARLES J. ROTHWEILER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 460 |
| Operator City | CHANDLER |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85224 |
| 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 | CHD |
| Departure City | CHANDLER |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 715 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |