- Date
- August 8, 2014, 12:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N526FLJabiru USA Sport J250 SP
- Defining event
- Landing: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20140808016429A
- Case key
- 89838
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 maintain an adequate approach which resulted in a long landing and runway overrun.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while en route he noted that the fuel gauges were fluctuating and eventually indicated empty. He declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport. During the approach the airplane was too high and despite a slip and s-turns he landed long, overran the departure end of the runway, and struck a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that other than the erratic fuel indication on the fuel gauges, no other mechanical malfunctions or failures existed with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation. He added that at the time of landing, the engine was still running and a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an adequate amount of fuel in the fuel tanks.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while en route he noted that the fuel gauges were fluctuating and eventually indicated empty. He declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport. During the approach the airplane was too high and despite a slip and s-turns he landed long, overran the departure end of the runway, and struck a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that other than the erratic fuel indication on the fuel gauges, no other mechanical malfunctions or failures existed with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation. He added that at the time of landing, the engine was still running and a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an adequate amount of fuel in the fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N526FL
- Reported as
- Jabiru USA Sport J250 SP (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 325
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 1,036.4
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Newsom William A Jr
- Registered owner
- Newsom William A Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 2014
- Departed
- KGOO · Grass Valley, CA
- Destination
- L45 · Bakersfield, CA
- Airport
- L45 · Bakersfield Muni, runway 34, 4,000 × 75 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,546 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3.5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.