OpenAirDocs.org

19971107032659A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Beech C23 · Corona, CA · November 7, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 7, 1997 · 17:30 local
Place
Corona, CA
Airport
Corona Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3724Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA035
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A2G
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
176 total37 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days
N3724ZRegistration cancelled May 15, 2006 · Beech C23S/N M-2281 · Built 1980Airframe modelBeech C23Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Tried to land downwind. Began late go around behind power curve. Unable climb. Impacted boulders landing in field. (.4) the pilot reported that he had full fuel onboard. About 1 hour into the flight, the pilot descended and switched the fuel selector to a different tank. The engine ran rough and was 'hesitant.' When he switched back to the other tank, the engine ran normally. He elected to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport. During his descent he switched back to the other tank and the engine ran rough again. He was not able to receive a traffic advisory and was unable to see the windsock. On final approach he realized he had a tail wind and was too high and fast. He initiated a go-around but the engine was sluggish and the airplane would not climb. The pilot headed for an open field to make an off-airport emergency landing and the engine quit. The airplane brushed the tops of some trees and touched down in the field. The nose gear struck a rock during the landing roll and collapsed. The engine was test run following recovery and operated for about 5 minutes through the full range of operation with and without the electric fuel pump on both fuel tanks. About 5.6 gallolons of fuel were drained from the left tank and 17.9 gallons were drained from the right tank. No debris, water, or restrictions were noted in the fuel lines, carburetor bowl, or fuel strainer.

As the FAA filed it

TRIED TO LAND DOWNWIND. BEGAN LATE GO AROUND BEHIND POWER CURVE. UNABLE CLIMB. IMPACTED BOULDERS LANDING IN FIELD. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD FULL FUEL ONBOARD. ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT DESCENDED AND SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO A DIFFERENT TANK. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND WAS 'HESITANT.' WHEN HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE OTHER TANK, THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. DURING HIS DESCENT HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE OTHER TANK AND THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AGAIN. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE A TRAFFIC ADVISORY AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE WINDSOCK. ON FINAL APPROACH HE REALIZED HE HAD A TAIL WIND AND WAS TOO HIGH AND FAST. HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND BUT THE ENGINE WAS SLUGGISH AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. THE PILOT HEADED FOR AN OPEN FIELD TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRPLANE BRUSHED THE TOPS OF SOME TREES AND TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD. THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK A ROCK DURING THE LANDING ROLL AND COLLAPSED. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN FOLLOWING RECOVERY AND OPERATED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THROUGH THE FULL RANGE OF OPERATION WITH AND WITHOUT THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ON BOTH FUEL TANKS. ABOUT 5.6 GALLOLONS OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT TANK AND 17.9 GALLONS WERE DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT TANK. NO DEBRIS, WATER, OR RESTRICTIONS WERE NOTED IN THE FUEL LINES, CARBURETOR BOWL, OR FUEL STRAINER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA035Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCorona, CAThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the rough terrain that resulted in a nose over during the landing roll.Nov 8, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3724Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20060212001929AForced Landing · San Jose, CA(-23) The Beech sundowner crash landed about 300 feet short of runway 31L after experiencing power loss as it was about to enter a right downwind leg, at about 1,200 feet AGL, to runway 31R at Reid-Hillview airport (rhv) at San Jose, CA. After the pilot…Feb 12, 2006 · Destroyed