Palo Alto Of Santa Clara Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Palo Alto, California 94303
Sunday, April 29, 1984 14:40 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING A LANDING, THE ACFT BOUNCED & PORPOISED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE NOSE GEAR FAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RWY & A FIRE ERUPTED IN THE ENG COMPARTMENT. THE OCCUPANT EXITED THE PLANE, BUT MOMENTS LATER, IT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/29/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1440
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City PALO ALTO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94303
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport PALO ALTO OF SANTA CLARA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PAO
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 5
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1545 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID PAO
Elevation of weather observation facility 5
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
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) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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) 1184
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25049
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N491HC
NTSB Number LAX84LA274
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 HALL-CAVALIER
Aircraft Model SA-102.5
Aircraft Series Identifier SA-102.5
Aircraft Serial Number 102.5-6850
Certified Max Gross Weight 1550
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 600
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NOLAN VICKERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 619 HARVARD AVE.
Aircraft Owner City MENLO PARK
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94025
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 QQ3
Departure City SCHELLVILLE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1440
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code PAO
Destination City PALO ALTO
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 30
Runway Length 2500
Runway Width 65
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --