- Date
- August 13, 1991, 12:49 local (19:49 UTC)
- Place
- Hawthorne, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4553PPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910813034019A
- Case key
- 27021
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
Overconfidence in the airplane's ability and his personal ability by the instructor pilot (CFI), by intentionally shutting off fuel to an engine during a critical part of flight. The aircraft's lack of single engine performance was a related factor.
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 CFI turned off the airplane's right engine fuel selector to simulate an engine failure during the initial climb-out from the airport. After the dual student performed the engine-out emerg checklist, which included feathering the right engine propeller, the CFI instructed the dual student to re-enter the right traffic pattern. The airplane was not equipped with an unfeathering propeller system. The dual student overshot the final approach course when the CFI noted that the left main landing gear down light was not illuminated. The CFI took the controls and executed a single engine go-around. The airplane failed to climb and the CFI elected to land on a street. The airplane colllided with a sign and a pickup truck before coming to rest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4553P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-59
- Airframe hours
- 5,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Gdw Construction Company
- Registered owner
- Gdw Construction Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 1991 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- TOA · Torrance, CA
- Airport
- Hawthorne Muni, runway 7, 4,956 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HHR, 25 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.