- Date
- July 6, 1991, 13:23 local (20:23 UTC)
- Place
- Pacoima, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N164NBeech G35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910706026089A
- Case key
- 27013
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
Improper positioning of the fuel selector by the pilot, which resulted in fuel starvation.
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 & a passenger were completing a personal cross-country flight. The pilot acknowledged clearance to land, then there was no further communication from the airplane. The final approach segment to the runway was over a residential & light industrial business area. Witnesses reported the airplane appeared to be flying low & the engine was not running. Subsequently, the airplane impacted near the top of a stainless steel storage tank, about 35 ft above the ground, 800 ft short of the runway & 50 ft right of the runway centerline. The airplane was destroyed & the occupants received fatal injuries. An exam of the fuel selector revealed that it was positioned between 'off' & the right fuel tank position. This position would not allow any fuel to go to the engine. No preimpact part failure was found that would have resulted in the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N164N
- Reported as
- Beech G35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D4602
- Airframe hours
- 3,345
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Taylor, Donald
- Registered owner
- Donald Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1991 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- SAC · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- WHP
- Airport
- WHP · Whiteman, runway 12, 3,725 × 40 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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,733 total · 540 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BUR, 4 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.