- Date
- May 22, 1987, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Ardo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90840Boeing A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870522020559A
- Case key
- 25594
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a pleasure cross country flight, the engine experienced a partial loss of engine power. The plt made a forced landing where prior to touchdown the acft collided with power lines then contacted the terrain in aprx three ft of water. The acft has history of fouled spark plugs resulting in a rough running engine. The spark plugs were removed and inspected, noting that the number 4 plug was finger tight. Front and back plugs 1, 2, 6, and 7 displayed normal operating signatures. Numbers 3, 4, and 5 when removed a considerable amount of a water and oil mixture drained. A sandy type substance and vegetation were noted on the plugs. There was no mechanical failure or malfunction noted in the rest of the system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90840
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-1619
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Continental W6706N, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gast, Eugene O.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1986 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- L52 · Oceano, CA
- Destination
- SRF · San Rafael, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 600 in this make and model · 3,900 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 19 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRB, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.