What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The pilot had just departed the airport and was over the san francisco bay when the engine suddenly lost power. He attempted to make an emergency landing on a nearby bridge but had insufficient altitude and landed in the water on the shore short of the area. The airplane nosed over when the nose wheel plowed into the mud. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the spark plugs were not producing any spark. The 'p-leads' were grounded at a short in a tie-wrapped wire bundle under a grommet at the firewall. The insulation was melted and the inside conductor was contacting the radio shielding of the wire where it was attached to the airframe. Additional examination of the engine found that the rear wall section of the left muffler was missing, with the remaining edges eroded. With the muffler wall missing, hot exhaust gases were directed towards the firewall where the shorted section of the 'p-leads' were located. Maintenance actions had been performed in the engine compartment three times in the past 2 months, with the last maintenance activity 3 days prior to the accident when a cylinder was replaced. The loss of power event occurred on the first flight fo llowing return of the airplane to service. (-23) on September 5, 1999 at 1422 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N8135U experienced complete engine failure approximately 2 miles northwest of the pao alto airport. The Cessna 150 had just departed the palo alto airport and was at an altitude of 900 feet AGL when the engine quit. The private pilot, the sole occupant was not injured. The airplane was operated by oakland flyers, oakland, California, under the provision of 14 CFR part 91 and rented by the pilot for a local area personal flight. The pilot attempted to land the airplane on a dirt access road parallel to the west end of the dumbarton bridge, the airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE PILOT HAD JUST DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AND WAS OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A NEARBY BRIDGE BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND LANDED IN THE WATER ON THE SHORE SHORT OF THE AREA. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL PLOWED INTO THE MUD. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS WERE NOT PRODUCING ANY SPARK. THE 'P-LEADS' WERE GROUNDED AT A SHORT IN A TIE-WRAPPED WIRE BUNDLE UNDER A GROMMET AT THE FIREWALL. THE INSULATION WAS MELTED AND THE INSIDE CONDUCTOR WAS CONTACTING THE RADIO SHIELDING OF THE WIRE WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND THAT THE REAR WALL SECTION OF THE LEFT MUFFLER WAS MISSING, WITH THE REMAINING EDGES ERODED. WITH THE MUFFLER WALL MISSING, HOT EXHAUST GASES WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE FIREWALL WHERE THE SHORTED SECTION OF THE 'P-LEADS' WERE LOCATED. MAINTENANCE ACTIONS HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THREE TIMES IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS, WITH THE LAST MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WHEN A CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THE LOSS OF POWER EVENT OCCURRED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT FO LLOWING RETURN OF THE AIRPLANE TO SERVICE. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1999 AT 1422 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150M, N8135U EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE PAO ALTO AIRPORT. THE CESSNA 150 HAD JUST DEPARTED THE PALO ALTO AIRPORT AND WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 900 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY OAKLAND FLYERS, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNDER THE PROVISION OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND RENTED BY THE PILOT FOR A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON A DIRT ACCESS ROAD PARALLEL TO THE WEST END OF THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.