Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Nuevo, California 92367
Friday, December 6, 1991 15:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH RUGGED TERRAIN AFTER A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. IT STRUCK THE NORTH FACE OF 20 DEG SLOPE OF AN EAST-WEST RIDGE, JUST BELOW THE CREST. THE AIRPLANE THEN SLID ABOUT 20 FT DOWN THE SLOPE WHERE A POST-IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE PLANE. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS REVEALED THE #1 & #3 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG GAPS WERE BRIDGED WITH CINDER-LIKE DEPOSITS WITH METALLIC GLOBULES STARTING TO FILL THE FIRING END CAVITY & WORN CENTER ELECTRODES. ACCORDING TO THE SPARK PLUG MANUFACTURER, SEVERELY FOULED PLUGS WILL OPERATE COLDER CAUSING MISFIRES, AND WILL ALSO MISFIRE AT HIGHER POWER BECAUSE OF THE CONDUCTIVE NATURE OF THE DEPOSITS AT ELEVATED TEMPS. BRIDGED GAPS WILL SHORT OUT THE SPARK PLUG. SUCH A MALFUNCTIONED PLUG WILL MISFIRE AT ALL POWER SETTINGS IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO A OIL FOULED PLUG. BRIDGED GAPS BRIDGED BY BEADED LEAD GLOBULE WILL NOT CLEAR UP BY ENGINE OPERATION & CAN BE CORRECTED ONLY BY REPLACING THE MALFUNCTIONING SPARK PLUG WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT. THE ACDNT TIME WAS ESTD BE AT 1530 PST.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PERFORM PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRPLANE'S POWERPLANT WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF PERFORMANCE DURING AN UNKNOWN PHASE OF OPERATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FOULED SPARK PLUGS AND THE PARTIAL LOSS OF AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/6/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | NUEVO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92367 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| 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 | 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2080 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46448 |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 18 2010 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N614LS |
| NTSB Number | LAX92FA064 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GLASAIR |
| Aircraft Model | SH-2R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SH-2R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 763 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| 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 12 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SABER, LLOYD E. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 37324 VISTA VIELO DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | YUCAIPA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92399 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SABER, LLOYD E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 37324 VISTA VIELO DRIVE |
| Operator City | YUCAIPA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92399 |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | L12 |
| Departure City | REDLANDS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 18 2010 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| 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 | -- |