Santa Ynez Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Ynez, California 93460
Sunday, July 8, 1990 12:40 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING 'S' TURNS ON FINAL TO ALLOW SPACING FOR A GLIDER DEPARTURE. AS THE PILOT ADDED THROTTLE THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A HILLY BRUSH COVERED AREA. THE CARBURETOR WAS FUNCTIONALLY TESTED TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS, HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND TO BE ON THE RICH SIDE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE UNIT REVEALED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING INTO THE INTAKE AIR SECTION OF THE CARBURETOR FROM A CRACKED RUBBER DIAPHRAM. ACCORDING TO BENDIX, THE CARBURETOR SHOULD BE OVERHAULED AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE IS OVERHAULED. DETAILED REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CARBURETOR WAS OVERHAULED DURING THE LAST ENGINE OVERHAUL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL LEAKAGE FROM A RUPTURED DIAPHRAM IN THE CARBURETOR; FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT OWNER TO COMPLY WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED COMPONENT OVERHAUL INTERVALS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/8/1990
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1240
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SANTA YNEZ
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93460
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SANTA YNEZ
Event Location Nearest Airport ID IZA
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 660
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 Scattered
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) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1879
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 8 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1345
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43776
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8663A
NTSB Number LAX90LA247
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 A-35
Aircraft Series Identifier A-35
Aircraft Serial Number D-2128
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLIS M. HAWKINS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21931 BURBANK BLVD.
Aircraft Owner City WOODLAND HILLS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91367
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code IZA
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 26
Runway Length 2804
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --