# Accident 19981122040359A: Varga 2150AMORISY, Chandler, AZ, November 22, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 22, 1998, 09:28 local time - Place: Chandler, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3193° N, 111.8202° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3193&lon=-111.8202&mi=10 - Aircraft: N78114, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N78114-2018-03-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Varga 2150A (registry code 9350102, https://openairdocs.org/model/varga-2150a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: VARGA 2150AMORISY - Reported engine: LYC O320A2C - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,427 total, 68 in this make and model, 42 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA039) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981122040359A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. .19) ON NOVEMBER 22, 1998, AT 0828 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A VARGA 2 150A, N78114, LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE CHANDLER, ARIZONA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A STREET SIGN AND A BRICK WALL DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AND WAS ORIGINATING ON A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD WERE INJURED. (-23) MR. RONALD A. STARLING PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 228825266 WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A 1978 VARGA/2150A AIRCRAFT, SERIAL NUMBER VAC-114-78 ON NOVEMBER 11, 1998 WHEN HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING DUE TO ENGINE STOPPAGE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING WHICH OCCURRED AT 0928 HRS. MST IN THE VICINITY OF PARK STREET & SEVILLE STREET IN THE CITY OF CHANDLER, ARIZONA, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BLOCK WALL CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. MR. STARLING STATES THAT HE CHECKED HIS FUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING CHANDLER AIRPORT AT 0700 HRS. MST ON NOVEMBER 11, 1998 FOR PAYSON AIRPORT. HE STATES THAT TH E FUEL WAS VISIBLE AND THAT THE GAUGES HAD FUEL READINGS OF 1/4 OF A FULL TANK ON ONE WING AND 1/3 OF A FULL TANK ON THE OTHER WING. MR. STARLING ADDITIONALLY STATES THE HE BELIEVES THE ENGINE STOPPED DUE TO AN AIR LOCK IN THE FUEL LINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT BY MR. CHRIS JARMAN OF AIR TRANSPORT INCORPORATED. MR. JARMAN STATED THAT UPON REMOVING THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR TRANSPORT, THE WING FUEL TANKS DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNS OF FUEL INTERNALLY. MR. JARMAN ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FUEL INTERNALLY. MR. JARMAN ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FUEL RESIDUE OR FUEL ODOR AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, AND THAT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR LEADS TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SYSTEM. (.4) THE PILOT HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE WHILE EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION. HE REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, AND HE DID NOT PERFORM A VISUAL PREFLIGHT CHECK OF THE FUEL TANKS TO DETERMINE QUANTITY BEFORE DEPARTURE. THE ENGINE FAILED APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL FARMING AREA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A PLOWED FIELD, PROCEEDED TO CROS S A ROAD, HIT A STREET SIGN, AND FINALLY HIT A RESIDENTIAL BLOCK WALL. UPON EXAMINATION, THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED AND A TOTAL OF 4 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS AND THE LINES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX99LA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA039), Nov 22, 1998: Varga 2150A (N78114), Chandler, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to perform an adequate preflight of the aircraft to ensure that adequate fuel was available for the flight. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.