Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mesa, Arizona 85201
Saturday, September 10, 1983 11:45 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A STREET LAMP WHILE PULLING UP FROM A LOW PASS OVER A DRY RIVER BED. THIS EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT ACFT WAS OPERATING OUTSIDE THE PRESCRIBED BOUNDARIES FOR THIS ACFT. WITNESSES DISAGREED ON THE ENGINE SOUNDS. SOMEDESCRIBED THE ENGINE AS LOUD AND STRONG. OTHERS SAID IT WAS SPUTTERING AND MISSING. ALL AGREED THAT THE ACFT FLEW LOW (ABOUT 50-75 FT AGL) OVER THE RIVERBED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT BOTH FUEL TANK INDICATORS READ EMPTY. THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS PUNCTURED. THE AUX TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 1/8 GALLON OF FUEL. NO FUELING INFORMATION COULD BE OBTAINED. THE FUELING FACILITY AT FALCON FIELD HAD NO RECORD OF ANY PURCHASE BY THE PLT. THE PROPELLER WAS METAL AND PRESENTED EXTREME TWISTING WITH MULTIPLE UNDIFFERENTIATED GOUGES AND SCRATCHES BOTH BLADES WERE BENT FOWARD AND THE TOP OF ONE BLADE WAS MISSING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/10/1983
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1145
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City MESA
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85201
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 9
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1145 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID PHX
Elevation of weather observation facility 1132
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 45
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 37
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 3900
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2923
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23241
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2309E
NTSB Number LAX83FA435
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CASSUTT
Aircraft Model 3-M
Aircraft Series Identifier 3-M
Aircraft Serial Number 12345
Certified Max Gross Weight 750
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jun 16 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 11
Airframe Hours 83
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN C. FFIELD
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3636 SOUTH COUNTRY CLUB WAY
Aircraft Owner City TEMPE
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
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 P16
Departure City MESA
Departure State AZ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1115
Departure Time Zone MST
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 Maneuvering
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --