- Date
- July 29, 1988, 14:01 local (21:01 UTC)
- Place
- Glendale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N15855Rearwin 8500
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880729028369A
- Case key
- 25852
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
Seperation of an engine cylinder that moved into the plane of the wooden propeller blades. The propeller blades were sheared by the dislodged cylinder. The rough landing surface contributed to the accident.
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
The pilot had penetrated a tca without clearance when, at the instructions from an air traffic controller, a police helicopter gave chase. As the helicopter neared the airplane the helicopter crew reported that parts were falling from the airplane. The helicopter followed the airplane as it descended and touched down in a rough dry river bed. The airplanes landing gear sheared on touchdown and the aircraft nosed over on its back. An engine exam revealed a cylinder had separated and sheared the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15855
- Reported as
- Rearwin 8500
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 455
- Airframe hours
- 3,744
- Engine
- unknown LEBOND 85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Otto Thress, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Thress, Otto Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- WHP · Pocoima, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beech, 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
- 76
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAX, 15 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.