20011018029689A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Gulstm 500 · Petalamu, CA · October 18, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: October 18, 2001 · 22:00 local
Place: Petalamu, CA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N7846C
Reported as: Gulstm 500

N7846CRegistration cancelled Oct 5, 2019 · Aero Commander 500S/N 724 · Built 1963 Airframe modelAero Commander 500 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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) Pilot statement: conditions at petaluma: visibility 8-10 miles at surface, vertical appeared clear with hazy overs out of distance. Conditions at concord clear for 10 miles, visibility VFR conditions verified by phone call to tower before 10:00 pm. Departed petaluma on runway 29 intending to do right downwind departure. On right turn to downwind at approximately 900 feet inadvertently entered poor visibility (IMC) he was slow and transition and gauges. Airplane did do some turns and up and downs as he was gathering up my manual he heard a thump and the airplane yawed hard left. He cross controlled at this time, still in IMC conditions at about 1800 feet he attempted to pull or feather left engine, conditions got worse, returned left engine to full power and climbed south to about 2000 feet and dropped cloud cover. Flew back to concord and landed safely. He did not know what the airplane hit or what was wrong until he looked out at the left wing and could see damage at tip.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATEMENT: CONDITIONS AT PETALUMA: VISIBILITY 8-10 MILES AT SURFACE, VERTICAL APPEARED CLEAR WITH HAZY OVERS OUT OF DISTANCE. CONDITIONS AT CONCORD CLEAR FOR 10 MILES, VISIBILITY VFR CONDITIONS VERIFIED BY PHONE CALL TO TOWER BEFORE 10:00 PM. DEPARTED PETALUMA ON RUNWAY 29 INTENDING TO DO RIGHT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE. ON RIGHT TURN TO DOWNWIND AT APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET INADVERTENTLY ENTERED POOR VISIBILITY (IMC) HE WAS SLOW AND TRANSITION AND GAUGES. AIRPLANE DID DO SOME TURNS AND UP AND DOWNS AS HE WAS GATHERING UP MY MANUAL HE HEARD A THUMP AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED HARD LEFT. HE CROSS CONTROLLED AT THIS TIME, STILL IN IMC CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 1800 FEET HE ATTEMPTED TO PULL OR FEATHER LEFT ENGINE, CONDITIONS GOT WORSE, RETURNED LEFT ENGINE TO FULL POWER AND CLIMBED SOUTH TO ABOUT 2000 FEET AND DROPPED CLOUD COVER. FLEW BACK TO CONCORD AND LANDED SAFELY. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE AIRPLANE HIT OR WHAT WAS WRONG UNTIL HE LOOKED OUT AT THE LEFT WING AND COULD SEE DAMAGE AT TIP.