Long Beach Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Long Beach, California 90806
Thursday, April 30, 1987 8:28 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON 4/28/87, AFTER A FLT FROM LONG BEACH TO LAS VEGAS, THE PLT REQUESTED THE LEFT WING TANK BE SVCD WITH 15 GAL OF FUEL; NO FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE RGT TANK. TWO DAYS LATER, THE PLT TOOK OFF ON THE RETURN FLT. DRG ARRIVAL AT LONG BEACH, HE WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 30 APCH. WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO LAND, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT INITIATED EMERG STARTING PROCEDURES, THEN DIRECTED HIS ATTENTION TO MAKING AN EMERG LANDING. DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT STRUCK A HIWAY RAMP SIGN &LIGHT STANDARD, THEN CRASHED ON THE ROOF OF A LARGE BLDG. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT TANK WHICH WAS NEARLY EMPTY, BUT THE RIGHT TANK HAD APRX 15 GAL REMAINING. ALTHOUGH THE LEFT TANK HAD RUPTURED,ONLY ABOUT 1.5 GAL WAS FOUND IN THE TANK & ONLY AN ESTIMATED 1.5 GAL OF FUEL HAD SPILLED. LESS THAN 3 CC OF FUEL (TOTAL)WAS FND IN THE FUEL FEED & RETURN LINES TO THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP. FOUR GAL OF FUEL IN EACH TANK WAS CONSIDERED TO BE UNUSABLE. THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK DIRECTED THAT FOR LANDING, THE FUEL SELECTOR BE POSITIONED TO THE FULLEST TANK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/30/1987
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 828
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LONG BEACH
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 90806
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LONG BEACH
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LGB
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 70
Airport Elevation 60
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 652 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 250
Weather Observation Facility ID LGB
Elevation of weather observation facility 60
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
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) 2480
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 30 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36777
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:16PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N231MW
NTSB Number LAX87FA198
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 MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20K
Aircraft Series Identifier M20K
Aircraft Serial Number 25-0200
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 60
Airframe Hours 1303
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MICHAEL T. BIANCHI
Aircraft Owner Street Address 11383 TORTUGA STREET
Aircraft Owner City CYPRESS
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90630
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 No
Departure Airport Code LAS
Departure City LAS VEGAS
Departure State NV
Departure Country
Departure Time 715
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code LGB
Destination City
Destination State
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 30
Runway Length 10000
Runway Width 200
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --