- Date
- October 26, 1989, 17:23 local (Oct 27, 1989, 00:23 UTC)
- Place
- W. Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N200EXWheeler Acft. Express 100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891026043089A
- Case key
- 26527
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
The mechanical failure of the engine due to the wearing away of the piston pin plug, connecting rod bearings, and the breakage of the connecting rod at the lower end. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the forced landing into a residential area as the only landing site immediately available.
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 engine on the aircraft failed during cruise flight about 10 miles east of the departure airport. The pilot was unable to extend his glide and was forced to land into a residential area colliding with several homes. The piston pin plug in one cylinder had worn away damaging the piston. The connecting rods had their bearings worn away and one connecting rod was found broken at the lower end.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N200EX
- Reported as
- Wheeler Acft. Express 100 (EXPRESS 10)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 100
- Airframe hours
- 1,005
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wheeler Aircraft Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 16, 1989 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Destination
- EMT · El Monte, CA
- Airport
- SMO · Santa Monica, runway 3, 4,980 × 150 ft
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,094 total · 658 in this make and model · 1,004 as pilot in command · 276 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMO, 1 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.