Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Death Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Death Valley, California 92328
Friday, April 11, 1986 16:50 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER A LOSS OF PWR 50 YARDS SHORT OF THE RWY. THE PLT STATED HE USED VARIOUS FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONS WHILE EN ROUTE. UPON ENTRY INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND, THE LEFT TANK WAS SELECTED. ON FINAL APCH THE PLT REALIZED HE WAS TOO HIGH AND ENTERED A LEFT WING LOW SLIP. WHEN HE REACHED HIS DESIRED ALT HE ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE SINK RATE BY APPLYING PWR. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS APPLIED, THE ENG DID NOT RESPOND AND THE ACFT LANDED SHORT AND NOSED OVER. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING USING AUTOMOTIVE FUEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC) NUMBER SA694GL. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE STC CAUTIONS THE PLT STATING, 'DO NOT OPEN A CARBURETOR THROTTLE ABRUPTLY AFTER IDLING IN FLIGHT. TO DO SO MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP.' THE ACFT OPERATING MANUAL STATES THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR SHOULD BE POSITIONED ON BOTH TANKS FOR TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/11/1986 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1650 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | DEATH VALLEY |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92328 |
| Event Date Year | 1986 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DEATH VALLEY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L06 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 211 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1652 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DRA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3314 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 42 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| 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 | 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) | 1042 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 12 1986 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 818 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 31482 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5925B |
| NTSB Number | LAX86LA173 |
| 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 | 182A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 182A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 33925 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 9 1986 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 145 |
| Airframe Hours | 5359 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN M. DONAVAN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RFD 14 CONSTALE |
| Operator City | NEW MARKET |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 03857 |
| 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 | Q94 |
| Departure City | RIO LINDA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1420 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | LO6 |
| Destination City | DEATH VALLEY |
| 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 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 3040 |
| Runway Width | 70 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |