Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Zamperini Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Torrance, California 90505
Thursday, February 26, 2009 21:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The owner/pilot said that the pilot-rated passenger, who was seated in the front seat, had been shown the function of the steering bar, the pedals, the brake, and the throttle. After engine start and while performing the pre-taxi checklist, the steering control bar was tied to the glider's frame tube with a bungee cord. The pilot performed a brake check from the rear seat and then asked the passenger to perform the brake check from the front seat. The glider foot controls are similar to airplane controls, except when the top of the left pedal is depressed it activates the nosewheel brake. When the top of the right pedal is depressed it activates the throttle instead of activating the brake. After the pilot asked the passenger to perform the brake check, the glider engine accelerated to full power and the glider became airborne. Because the control bar was tied to the main frame of the glider the pilot was unable to attain control before the glider stalled. The owner/pilot indicated that the glider did not have a mechanical malfunction or failure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The passenger’s inadvertent activation of the engine throttle.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/26/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2100 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Torrance |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90505 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 334812N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182022W |
| Event Location Airport | Zamperini Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TOA |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 103 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HHR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 66 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26470 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA WP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 21 2009 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N426MT |
| NTSB Number | WPR09LA130 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | TOLAND S/THORNBURGH J |
| Aircraft Model | TWIN 503SL |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 95 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 880 |
| Aircraft Category | -- |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Feb 21 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 318 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SURE FLIGHT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 16192 COASTAL HWY |
| Aircraft Owner City | LEWES |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19958-3608 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Jon P. Thornburgh |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Redondo Beach |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 90277 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TOA |
| Departure City | Torrance |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2100 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TOA |
| Destination City | Torrance |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 21 2009 4:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |