# NTSB LAX90LA075: Bellanca 14-19-2, N7654B, Palos Verdes, CA, January 21, 1990

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: January 21, 1990, 15:48 local (23:48 UTC)
- Place: Palos Verdes, CA
- Coordinates: 33.730514, -118.309852 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7305&lon=-118.3099&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 29, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 26724
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX90LA075
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/26724/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX90LA075

## Probable cause

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power, cruise
  - reason for occurrence undetermined, pilot in command (cause)
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- Ditching, descent - emergency

## Analysis

THE PLT WAS RECEIVING RADAR ADVISORIES FROM LAX TRACON. HE REPORTED THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, THE PLT DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE RESCUED BY A FISHING BOAT BEFORE THE AIRPLANE SANK. NEITHER THE AIRPLANE NOR THE ENGINE WAS RECOVERED. THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE POWER LOSS APPEARED TO BE FUEL RELATED. THE AIRPLANE HAD 31 GALLONS OF FUEL WHEN IT DEPARTED AND WAS ABOUT 12 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED DUE TO A PROP STRIKE. IT HAD BEEN REINSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. AN OVERHAULED ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS ALSO INSTALLED AT THE TIME THE ENGINE WAS REINSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE ACCRUED ABOUT 31 FLIGHT HOURS SINCE THE ENGINE WAS REINSTALLED.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N7654B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7654B-2017-06-21), registration cancelled 2017-06-21, S/N 4005, built 1957 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELLANCA 14-19-2
- Registry model: [Bellanca 14-19-2](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-14-19-2) (registry code 3080104) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 4005
- Airframe hours: 2820
- Engines: CONTINENTAL O-470 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Brown, Jerry, doing business as Allied Air Charter
- Registered owner: Bronn, Gerald   B.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, December 13, 1989, 31 hours before
- Departed: AVX, CATALINA, CA
- Destination: SMO, SANTA MONICA, CA

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 53; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 7,000 total, 303 in this make and model, 7,000 as pilot in command, 46 in the last 90 days, 27 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 80° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: LAX, 12 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19900121000889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900121000889A), Jan 21, 1990: Blanca 14192, Palos Verdes, CA, Destroyed. Engine stopped. Ditched in ocean and sank after occupants rescued. Pilot beleives fuel starvation.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.