Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Gen. William J. Fox Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lancaster, California 93534
Friday, August 4, 1989 12:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER COMPLETION OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE AIRCRAFT OWNER ELECTED TO CONDUCT A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. WHILE AIRBORNE, HE SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE, THEN FEATHERED AND UNFEATHERED THE PROPELLER, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE BY LETTING THE PROPELLER WINDMILL. WHEN HE FOLLOWED THE SAME PROCEDURE WITH THE LEFT ENGINE AND PROPELLER, THE PROPELLER FAILED TO UNFEATHER AND HE COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITH ONE ENGINE OPERATING AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR DURING PATTERN ENTRY. THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT EXTEND AND THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CLIMB AND BEGAN TO LOOSE ALTITUDE. EVENTUALLY, IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND OFF AIRPORT DURING AN UNARRESTED DESCENT. THE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION AND RETRACTION SYSTEM WAS HYDRAULIC AND POWERED BY A PUMP ON THE LEFT ENGINE. THE FLIGHT MANUAL PROVIDED TWO ALTERNATE MEANS OF EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION, NEITHER OF WHICH THE PILOT ATTEMPTED ON THE FIRST LANDING APPROACH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES IN RESTARTING THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE HYDRUALIC PUMP AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW PUBLISHED EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES. THE PILOT'S DECISION TO SHUT DOWN AN ENGINE AND FEATHER THE PROPELLER BEFORE ASSURING HIMSELF THAT THE PROPELLER WOULD UNFEATHER AND HIS INADEQUATE TRAINING IN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LANCASTER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93534 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | GEN. WILLIAM J. FOX |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GWF |
| 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 | 2300 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1250 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WJF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2300 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 59 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2196 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 4 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1310 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41957 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4376P |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA263 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-1881 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| 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 | SIMANSKI, DONALD E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 44700 11TH ST. E |
| Operator City | LANCASTER |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 93535 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | WJF |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | 24 |
| Runway Length | 5001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |