Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Livermore Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Livermore, California 94550
Saturday, November 4, 2000 12:01 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After making a forced landing in an open field due to a loss of engine power, the airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with a berm. The purpose of the flight was for the first pilot to gain more experience flying the airplane, as he was not familiar with it. He had asked one of the part owners of the airplane to act as his safety pilot during the flight because he was going to practice IFR procedures. During an ILS-localizer approach, the first pilot inadvertently switched the fuel selector handle to the "OFF" position. The engine lost power. The first pilot was unable to move the fuel selector back to its original position. The safety pilot took control of the airplane, declared an emergency, and landed the airplane. The first pilot informed the responding police officer that he believed the fuel selector positions were "LEFT-OFF-RIGHT." The actual positions of the fuel selector were "OFF-LEFT-RIGHT." The officer observed the fuel selector handle pointing towards the "OFF" position. The fuel selector handle was examined. It was difficult to move, as if there was not enough lubrication on it, but it functioned properly.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane's fuel system. This lead to the pilot inadvertently switching the fuel selector handle to the "OFF" position and subsequently to a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/4/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1201 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | LIVERMORE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94550 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | LIVERMORE MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LVK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LVK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 397 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 69 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 42 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10929 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 4 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 6 2001 9:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9986W |
| NTSB Number | LAX01LA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-23534 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 8 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NAVAIR INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 181 JOAQUIN CIRCLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | DANVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94526 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BEHRAM IRANI |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | WALNUT CREEK |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 94598 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CCR |
| Departure City | CONCORD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | LVK |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2001 4:45AM |
| 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 | -- |