- Date
- June 30, 1990, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Redding, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N275GGary Williams Avid Flyer
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900630023049A
- Case key
- 26579
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 failure of the pilot to select the correct position of the fuel selector. Contributing to the accident was operation with a known dead battery.
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 expereinced an engine failure about 15 minutes after takeoff. Attempts to restart failed due to a dead battery that was found during the pre-flight inspection. The fuel system has a header tank downstream of the fuel selector and has a capacity of 3/4 of a gallon. With the fuel selector in the off position the engine will run for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical defect or malfunction, and the pilot reported no mechanical problem prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N275G
- Reported as
- Gary Williams Avid Flyer
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 275
- Airframe hours
- 84
- Engine
- Rotax 583, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gary D. Williams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1990 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- Q93 · Redding, 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 127 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RBL, 20 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.