19991210035729I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech 58P · Palm Springs, CA · December 10, 1999

Date: December 10, 1999 · 12:20 local
Place: Palm Springs, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N789SL
Reported as: Beech 58P
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,300 total70 in this make and model240 in the last 90 days

N789SLRegistered now · Beech 58PS/N TJ-12 · Built 1975 Airframe modelBeech 58P Engine modelContinental TSIO-520 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.

(-23) The pilot in command of N789SL had filed an IFR flight plan from Palm Springs (psp), CA, to oceanside (crq), CA. After departure, the pilot noted that a fuel tank cap had become loose and he informed ATC that he needed to return to the airport. No emergency was declared and the pilot started his turn back to psp without clearance from ATC. The flight was operating in VMC conditions at the time.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N789SL HAD FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM PALM SPRINGS (PSP), CA, TO OCEANSIDE (CRQ), CA. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT NOTED THAT A FUEL TANK CAP HAD BECOME LOOSE AND HE INFORMED ATC THAT HE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED AND THE PILOT STARTED HIS TURN BACK TO PSP WITHOUT CLEARANCE FROM ATC. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VMC CONDITIONS AT THE TIME.