Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Bakersfield Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bakersfield, California 93301
Saturday, December 23, 2000 14:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a forced landing precipitated by fuel starvation and a loss of engine power, the airplane collided with a fence and overturned. The engine stopped producing power about 2 miles from the airport, and the pilot thought he could make it to the airport. About 500 feet above the ground, he noticed the airport boundary fence. He felt he might strike it with the landing gear while in flight, so he decided to land short of the airport. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot saw fuel leaking from the inverted wing fuel tanks and evacuated the airplane. The pilot did not recall moving the fuel selector valve after landing. The fuel selector valve pointed to a position 20 to 30 degrees left of the right fuel tank position. It pointed to the middle of a placard that indicated right tank. However, a mechanic said he felt this position would not allow either tank to supply sufficient fuel to the engine. He observed a flexible detent that was installed to ensure proper position of the fuel selector valve when the right fuel tank was selected. The flexible detent bent down and was not useable.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning, fuel management, and inadequate remedial actions, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The pilot made an off-field landing and collided with a fence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/23/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | BAKERSFIELD |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93301 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | BAKERSFIELD MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L45 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 376 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1456 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 688 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 57 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 44 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 333 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10936 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 23 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1606 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 6 2001 9:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N72970 |
| NTSB Number | LAX01LA064 |
| 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 | 140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 140 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 25928-6-12 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1450 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 18 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 2732 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RONALD LAWRENCE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | TULARE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93274 |
| 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 | L80 |
| Departure City | HI DESERT |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | L45 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |