Whiteman Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pacoima, California 91331
Saturday, July 6, 1991 13:23 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT & A PASSENGER WERE COMPLETING A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED CLEARANCE TO LAND, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT TO THE RUNWAY WAS OVER A RESIDENTIAL & LIGHT INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS AREA. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE FLYING LOW & THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED NEAR THE TOP OF A STAINLESS STEEL STORAGE TANK, ABOUT 35 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, 800 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY & 50 FT RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AN EXAM OF THE FUEL SELECTOR REVEALED THAT IT WAS POSITIONED BETWEEN 'OFF' & THE RIGHT FUEL TANK POSITION. THIS POSITION WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY FUEL TO GO TO THE ENGINE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/6/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1323
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City PACOIMA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91331
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WHITEMAN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID WHP
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 330
Airport Elevation 1004
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1246 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 125
Weather Observation Facility ID BUR
Elevation of weather observation facility 775
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 10000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 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 --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1683
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 6 1991 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1410
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45560
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:32AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N164N
NTSB Number LAX91FA292
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 BEECH
Aircraft Model G35
Aircraft Series Identifier G35
Aircraft Serial Number D4602
Certified Max Gross Weight 2775
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 Apr 1 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 31
Airframe Hours 3345
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DONALD TAYLOR
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1926 HAMPTON LANE
Aircraft Owner City GLENDALE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91201
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TAYLOR, DONALD
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 1926 HAMPTON LANE
Operator City GLENDALE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92154
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 SAC
Departure City SACRAMENTO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code WHP
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 12
Runway Length 3725
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --