- Date
- February 10, 1990, 13:08 local (21:08 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2118PPiper PA-23-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900210001859A
- Case key
- 26733
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 pilot's failure to raise the gear and flaps during a go-around resulting in a loss of control. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in a PA-23.
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 plt was on final following a C-152 doing touch-and-go's and was instructed by the tower to execute a go-around when it appeared to the controller the Piper was overtaking the Cessna. The Piper was observed to climb and then descend to the ground in a left turn. The plt indicated a possible loss of power on the left engine during the go-around, and that he raised the gear and flaps. The flap selector was found in the full down position, and the gear selector was found in the down and neutral position. The plt had 13 hrs in a PA-23. No evidence found to indicate a mechanical problem of the left engine. Both fuel tanks had evidence of automotive fuel present.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2118P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-709
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brian Beamer
- Departed
- Hesperia, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach, runway 25L, 5,420 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 27
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 556 total · 13 in this make and model · 384 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- LGB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.