Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ventura, California 93003
Sunday, April 12, 1987 14:03 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD REDUCED POWER AND DESCENDED TO A LOWER ALTITUDE TO TAKE PICTURES OF A SAILBOAT RACE. AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET THE PILOT MADE A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN, THEN LEVELED OFF. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE AND ABRUPTLY ADDED POWER. THE ENGINES DID NOT RESPOND IN TIME TO REGAIN ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE WATER LEFT WING FIRST. ON IMPACT A FIRE STARTED. THE AIRCRAFT EVENTUALLY SANK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/12/1987
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1403
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City VENTURA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93003
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
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 1454 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 106
Weather Observation Facility ID OXR
Elevation of weather observation facility 43
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 14
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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 1
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 245
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 12 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1525
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33195
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 N32BB
NTSB Number LAX87LA174
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name GRUMMAN
Aircraft Model G-44A
Aircraft Series Identifier G-44A
Aircraft Serial Number 1475
Certified Max Gross Weight 4525
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 5
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 5500
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SCHWAMM, JOHN A.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 115 A.P.S.,
Aircraft Owner City SANTA BARBARA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93103
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 SBA
Departure City SANTA BARBARA
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
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 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --