Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Parlier, California 93648
Friday, January 27, 1989 17:55 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BEFORE DEPG ON A FLT FROM SAN DIEGO TO FRESNO, THE PLT VISUALLY INSPECTED THE FUEL TANKS & BOTH WERE FULL. HE TOOK OFF AT ABOUT 1515 PST USING THE LEFT TANK. HE RPRTD THAT OVER THE SEAL BEACH AREA, HE SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK. APRX 2 MIN LATER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH & HE NOTED A DROP IN FUEL PRESSURE. HE THEN RESELECTED THE LEFT TANK & THE ENG RETURNED TO NORMAL OPN. OVER THE LAKE HUGHES AREA, HE MOMENTARILY SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK AGAIN & EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. AT THAT TIME, HE BELIEVED THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK TO CONTINUE TO FRESNO. HOWEVER, WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON ARRIVAL AT THE ALTTA INTXN (IAF FOR THE ILS RWY 29R APCH), THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT SELECTED THE RIGHT TANK, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENG. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LNDG IN AN OPEN AREA, BUT AFTER ROLLING APRX 100 TO 150 FT, THE ACFT HIT A DITCH & WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. AN EXAM REVEALED THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY & THE RIGHT TANK WAS FULL. A FURTHER EXAM REVEALED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK VENT TUBE WAS OBSTRUCTED WITH INSECTS & DEBRIS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION TO CONTINUE TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AFTER ENCOUNTERING A RESTRICTIONOF FUEL FLOW FROM THE RIGHT TANK AND SUBSEQUENT FUEL STARVATION WHEN THE LEFT TANK EMPTIED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE BLOCKED FUEL VENT AND A DITCH.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/27/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1755 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | PARLIER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93648 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1800 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 330 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Dusk |
| 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) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| 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 | 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 424 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 28 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38925 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8403N |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | E33 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | E33 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CD-1168 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3060 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 62 |
| Airframe Hours | 3556 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FARRIS L. FARRELL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 41 E L STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHULA VISTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92011 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6949 CURRAN ST |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92073 |
| 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 | SDM |
| Departure City | SAN DIEGO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FAT |
| Destination City | FRESNO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |