- Date
- August 1, 1990, 17:30 local (Aug 2, 1990, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Victorville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1718MStinson L-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900801029459A
- Case key
- 26879
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 oil gauge line 'b' nut backed off, and the pilot failed to maintain airspeed.
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
While en route to santa paula airport over a desert area, the pilot felt a hot oil spray emanating from behind the instrument panel. He elected to land in an open field. The landing site selected was near high transmission wires, which he probably did not see until the airplane was on final approach. The pilot pulled the airplane's nose up to cross over the top of the wires and allowed the airspeed to rapidly decay. The airplane stalled and collided with the terrain. The post-accident investigation revealed the oil pressure gauge line 'b' nut had backed off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1718M
- Reported as
- Stinson L-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42-14927
- Airframe hours
- 2,701
- Engine
- Lycoming O-435-C, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- World Wide Aeronautical Inc.
- Registered owner
- World Wide Aeronauticalind
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 17, 1990 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- APV · Apple Valley, CA
- Destination
- SZP · Santa Paula, CA
- Airport
- VCV · George Afb
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 7 in this make and model · 82 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1718M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.