Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Diego, California 92021
Thursday, May 17, 1990 9:46 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A HILL DURING THE ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE SPARK PLUG TO THE NO. 3 CYLINDER HAD BURNED/MELTED WITH THE OTHERS INDICATING EXCESSIVE HEAT DAMAGE. THE NO. 3 PISTON WAS FOUND SEIZED ON THE CONNECTING ROD. THE FLOAT IN THE CARBURETOR WAS FOUND SET TO A VERY LEAN CONDITION WITH THE FLOAT CHAMBER VENT LINE PLUGGED/CAPPED OFF. THE TOTAL ENGINE TIME WAS 1.9 HOURS WITH A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE OF HE INTERNAL COMPONENTS TO THE ENGINE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 946 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | SAN DIEGO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92021 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| 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 | 0 |
| 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 | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| 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 | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1019 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 17 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1946 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42240 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 4:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N58PP |
| NTSB Number | LAX90DUM02 |
| 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 | CUNNINGHAM |
| Aircraft Model | PRESCOTT PUSHER |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PRESCOTT P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 42 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2477 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 16 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EWC CUNNINGHAM |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14622 QUAIL HAVEN LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | EL CAJON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92019 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CUNNINGHAM, COULTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | EL CAJON |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92020 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | SDM |
| Departure City | SAN DIEGO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 945 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |