Herlong Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Herlong, California 96113
Friday, June 16, 1989 11:45 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON A PREVIOUS FLT, THE ACFT'S ELEC SYS OVERHEATED & FAILED. THE PLT DIVERTED TO BISHOP, CA, WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. APRX 1 HR AFTER TAKING OFF ON THE NEXT FLT, THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER 'POPPED.' THE PLT TURNED OFF THE ELEC MASTER SW & DECIDED TO CONT TO THE DESTN. HOWEVER, A SHORT TIME LATER, THE ENG BEGAN TO SURGE & SUBSEQUENTLY LOST POWER. THE PLT INITIATED EMERG PROCEDURES, BUT DID NOT RECALL SWITCHING THE FUEL SELECTOR. HE MNVRD THE ACFT TO LAND AT A NEARBY ARPT, BUT AFTER EXTENDING THE GEAR TO LAND, HE REALIZED THE ACFT WOULD NOT REACH THE RWY. BEFORE MAKING AN OFF-ARPT LANDING, HE SAW TRANSMISSION LINES AHEAD, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT SPEED TO FLY OVER THEM. WHILE CROSSING UNDER THE WIRES TO LAND, THE ACFT HIT THE GND & WAS DMGD. AN EXAM REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS PSND TO THE LEFT TANK, WHICH CONTAINED ONLY OUNCES OF FUEL. THE RGT TANK HAD AN ESTIMATED 15 TO 20 GAL OF FUEL REMAINING. WHEN CHECKED, THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT FAILED TO SUSTAIN AN ELEC LOAD AT ITS RATED CAPACITY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FUEL STARVATION, AFTER THE PILOT DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND HIS FAILURE TO REPOSITION THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH, EITHER BEFORE THE ENGINE LOST POWER OR DURING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TRIPPED ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/16/1989
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1145
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City HERLONG
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96113
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HERLONG
Event Location Nearest Airport ID Q73
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 4050
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) 100
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 17
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 2
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1181
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 16 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39390
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:46PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4857C
NTSB Number LAX89LA223
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model T210N
Aircraft Series Identifier T210N
Aircraft Serial Number 21063647
Certified Max Gross Weight 4016
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 11 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 193
Airframe Hours 1407
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MICHAEL A. CRISTE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 39-700 BOB HOPE DRIVE SUITE312
Aircraft Owner City RANCHO MIRAGE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92270
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WILLIAM C. EALY
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 No
Departure Airport Code BIH
Departure City BISHOP
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 1Q2
Destination City SUSANVILLE
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 24
Runway Length 3260
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --