- Date
- July 12, 1988, 18:55 local (Jul 13, 1988, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Compton, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N6926BPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880712026459A
- Case key
- 25845
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Student pilots failure to adequately remove moisture from the fuel system during his preflight inspection which led to a loss of engine power during a critical phase of flight.
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
After the student pilot drained a small amount of fuel from the aircraft's fuel sump he and his two passengers enplaned for a local flight. After the engine was started for the flight it stopped four times while taxiing for takeoff. A passenger stated that the student pilot used the fuel primer in an attempt to keep the engine running. After an engine run-up the pilot tookoff. The engine began sputtering just after takeoff. The aircraft collided with electrical transmission lines and impacted the ground. A post crash fire erupted and destroyed the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6926B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4203
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mason, Douglas A.
- Registered owner
- Mason, Douglas A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 1986
- Departed
- CPM · Compton, CA
- Airport
- CPM · Compton, runway 25L, 3,670 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 250 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.