Piper PA-23-250 N515TW
14 July 1991 · Hesperia, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 July 1991 at about 02:05 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N515TW, operated by Kbmm Radio, Inc., was involved in an accident near Hesperia, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hesperia, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.3609, -117.3208
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250
- Registration
- N515TW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Kbmm Radio, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Santa Monica
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX91FA310
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER REFUELING AND INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL CONTAMINATION AND THE INADVERTENT STALL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT WAS SEEN DRAINING ABOUT ONE GALLON OF WATER FROM HIS FUEL TANK 6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE DID NOT FLY FROM THAT TIME UNTIL THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND A FRIEND WERE OBSERVED RE-FUELING THE AIRCRAFT WITH AUTOMOBILE GAS. THE ENGINES ARE NOT CERTIFIED BY THE FAA FOR THE USE OF AUTO GAS. HE DID NOT PERFORM A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION NOR DRAIN THE FUEL BEFORE HIS TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 150 FEET AGL BOTH ENGINES FAILED. THE PILOT HAD ADEQUATE LANDING OPTIONS, BUT SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE UNTIL IT STALLED. ALTITUDE DID NOT PERMIT RECOVERY FROM THE STALL CONDITION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-23 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 1991 | Piper PA-23-250 | New Market, Virginia, United States | John Root | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1991 | Piper PA-23-250 | Templeton, Massachusetts, United States | Charles O'donnell | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1991 | Piper PA-23-250 | Liberty, North Carolina, United States | Shamrock Gravure Products, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Jul 1991 | Piper PA-23-250 | Manteo, North Carolina, United States | Brookfield Aviation, Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jan 1991 | Piper PA-23 | Bolivar, Tennessee, United States | Bolivar Aircraft Sales | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1991 | Piper PA-23-250 | Lumberton, North Carolina, United States | Hester, Harry | Fatal | 1 |
All 1,716 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |