Green-Fowler PAZMANY PL-1 N4081K
23 June 1991 · Wrightwood, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 23 June 1991 at about 18:50 local time, a Green-Fowler PAZMANY PL-1 registered N4081K, operated by Lawrence Tomasello, was involved in an accident near Wrightwood, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wrightwood, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.3595, -117.6102
- Aircraft
- Green-Fowler PAZMANY PL-1
- Registration
- N4081K
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Lawrence Tomasello
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bakersfield → Redlands
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA269
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FATIGUE FRACTURE OF ONE OF THE TWO PROPELLER BLADES CAUSED BY THE PROPELLER MODIFICATION AND THE NON-APPROVED PROPELLER-ENGINE COMBINATION. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE TRANSMISSION WIRES AS AN OBSTACLE IN THE GLIDE PATH DURING THE ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 5,600 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY SEVERE VIBRATIONS. THE PILOT PULLED THE FUEL MIXTURE CONTROL AND ENTERED A POWER-OFF FORCED LANDING. ON SHORT FINAL, THE PILOT NOTICED WIRES IN HIS GLIDE PATH. HE MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT UNDER THE WIRES. HE LANDED ON UNEVEN TERRAIN AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ABOUT 17 INCHES OF ONE PROPELLER BLADE OUTBOARD SECTION FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. THE PROPELLER WAS CUT DOWN FROM A 74' DIAMETER TO A DIAMETER OF 68' AND PUT ON THE AIRCRAFT WITH A LYCOMING 0-320 E ENGINE. THIS IS AN UNAPPROVED COMBINATION AND THE PROPELLER FAILED AFTER ABOUT 20 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THAT COMBINATION. AN INDEPENDENT LABORATORY EXAMINED THE PROPELLER AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FATIGUE FAILURE WAS AS A RESULT OF A FORGING DEFECT. THE NTSB LABORATORY REVIEWED THAT REPORT AND DETERMINED THAT THE INDEPENDENT LABORATORY'S CONCLUSION WAS NOT SUBSTANTIATED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
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 |