SAN DIEGO, CA, USA
N91004
CESSNA T207
The local controller instructed the pilot to go-around because of inadequate spacing in the traffic pattern. While executing the go-around, the engine lost power and the airplane crashed on a bridge after colliding with the guard railing about 1 mile from the airport. The wreckage examination showed that the fuel line between the engine driven pump and the fuel control servo was empty. The left main tank leaked for about 5 minutes; the right main fuel tank was not compromised and contained between 5 and 10 gallons of fuel. Both auxiliary fuel tanks were empty. The fuel selector valve was found selected between the right main fuel tank and the off position. There were no other engine or airframe anomalies found.
History of Flight On August 23, 1995, at 1318 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T207, N91004, collided with a bridge railing during an emergency landing after executing a go-around at Montgomery Field, San Diego, California. The emergency landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Wendover Airport, Wendover, Utah, at 0750 hours. According to ICARUS Aviation Owner at Wendover Airport, the pilot arrived at Wendover Airport on either August 18 or August 19, 1995. The owner said that on August 20, 1995, ICARUS Aviation personnel "topped off the main fuel tanks"; the airplane was filled with 66.4 gallons of fuel. According to the manager of the FAA, Cedar City [Utah] Automated Flight Service Station, the pilot called the flight service specialist twice. On August 22, 1995, at 14:11:56 hours, the pilot called and received a weather briefing for his planned flight to San Diego. During the briefing, the pilot said, ". . .tell me that the winds are going to be at the tail, fierce and lovely. . .." On August 23, 1995, the pilot received another telephone weather briefing and filed a flight plan for his proposed flight. During the telephone conversation, the pilot said ". . .what I'm hoping you're gunna tell me is that I'm gunna have have fierce winds at the tail. . ." National Transportation Safety Board investigators reviewed the recorded communications between N91004 and the San Diego Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), and between N91004 and the Montgomery Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). The communications medium revealed that the pilot initially contacted the San Diego TRACON sector controller about 2000 hours and requested flight following to Montgomery Field. The sector controller complied with the pilot's request. At 2010 hours the sector controller ended the flight following service and instructed the pilot to contact the Montgomery ATCT local controller. At 1312 hours, the pilot contacted the local controller and reported that he was flying at 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl) for a circling left downwind entry for runway 28L. After a brief conversation regarding airspace entry procedures, the local controller cleared N91004 to land. At 1313 hours, the local controller amended the pilot's landing clearance and instructed him to follow another airplane on the downwind leg. The pilot acknowledged the clearance. At 1315 hours, the local controller asked the pilot if he still had the airplane he was following in sight. The pilot said he did, but that he thought he was going to land on the other parallel runway (runway 28R). The controller again discussed air traffic procedures and then instructed the pilot to execute a go-around. One minute later, the local controller instructed the pilot to begin the crosswind leg at his discretion; the pilot acknowledged the instructions. At 1317 hours, the local controller called N91004 twice, but the pilot did not respond. The local controller then advised a departing airplane that N91004 was very low. The local controller said in a written statement that N91004 was north of the airport when the pilot called. The controller cleared the accident airplane to land. The airplane crossed over the airport in a southeasterly direction, executed a 180-degree turn, followed by a right 45-degree turn, and entered the downwind leg behind a Piper PA-28 airplane. The local controller then resequenced N91004 to follow the PA-28 airplane. Two ground witnesses, both certificated pilots, told Safety Board investigators that they observed N91004 on its climb-out. One witness said that when the airplane was about 400 feet above the ground, he heard the engine power reduce to idle; he did not hear the engine power restore before it disappeared from his line of vision. The other witness said that when the airplane was about 300 feet above the ground, the engine power reduced to idle, restored to full power, and then reduced to idle. The airplane continued its descent until is was out of her line of sight. The accident coordinates are: 32 degrees, 49 minutes, and 19.86 seconds north latitude and 117 degrees, 09 minutes, and 46.92 seconds west longitude. Crew Information According to the FAA records, the pilot received his private pilot certificate on March 27, 1991; the certificate contained an airplane single engine land rating. The pilot also held a third-class medical certificate issued on March 3, 1993; the certificate contained a "must have available glasses for near vision and a miscellaneous restriction assigned [not valid for aircraft equipped with heel brakes]." A third-class medical certificate is valid for 24 calendar months. The pilot showed on the medical certificate application form that he accrued 900 total flight hours. Safety Board investigators recovered the pilot's no. 4 logbook. The last entry in the logbook, the pilot's biennial flight review, was entered on September 22, 1993. A biennial flight review is required by 14 CFR 91.56, every 24 calendar months. According to the logbook, the pilot accrued 94.4 hours. The flight time listed on page 3 of this report was derived from the pilot's no. 4 logbook and the number of hours the airplane flew since its last annual inspection on July 15, 1993. The pilot flew the airplane 50.95 hours between the last annual inspection and the accident. Aircraft Information According to the FAA Aircraft Registry Report, the aircraft registration certificate was issued to the pilot on February 15, 1994. Safety Board investigators recovered the airplane airframe and engine logbooks. The airplane engine and airframe total times were derived from the appropriate logbook entries and tachometer hourmeter reading. Accordingly, the airframe accrued 2,084.53 hours. As noted above, the last annual inspection was accomplished on July 15, 1993; the airframe accrued 2,033.58 hours at the time of the inspection. An annual inspection is required every 12 calendar months. The remanufactured engine, a TSIO-520-G1, serial No. 216027-R, was installed on the airplane on January 9, 1987, at an hourmeter reading of 1,702.72 hours. At the time of the accident, the engine accrued 381.81 hours since it was remanufactured. The engine accrued 330.86 hours at the time of the last annual inspection. Wreckage and Impact Information The airplane came to rest, right-side-up, in the west bound no. 4 lane of Balboa Boulevard (Interstate Highway 805 Freeway Overpass), facing 354 degrees, about 1 1/2 miles west of Montgomery Field. All of the airplane's major components and flight controls were found at the accident site. Both wings, with their associated flight controls, remained attached at their respective wing-to-fusleage attach fittings. The right wing exhibited an 8-inch impact mark about 11 inches inboard of the wing tip. A bridge vertical railing contained a white and blue paint transference signature that corresponded to the airplane wing tip and impact mark area. Continuity of the aileron flight control cables to the cabin/cockpit area was established. The control wheel was severely damaged and could not be operated. Besides the main fuel tanks, the airplane was equipped with two Flint auxiliary wing tip tanks. The auxiliary tanks and the right main fuel tank were not compromised; the left main fuel tank ruptured. Fire personnel reported that the left main fuel tank continuously drained fuel for about 5 minutes; they were unable to quantify how much fuel drained from the fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was found positioned between the right main fuel tank and the off position. Safety Board investigators drained between 5 and 10 gallons of fuel from the right main fuel tank. Both auxiliary fuel tanks were empty. The fuel line between the engine driven fuel pump and the fuel metering valve (servo) was not compromised. The line was disconnected and no fuel was found. Both flaps were found in the retracted position. The tail cone separated at the aft bulkhead fitting in a compression mode. The rudder pedals were impinged against the firewall and could not be operated. Continuity of the rudder, elevators, and the elevator trim tab cables was established. The propeller assembly separated from the engine crankshaft. Two of the three propeller blades did not exhibit any "S" twisting or leading edge gouging; the remaining blade exhibited extensive "S" twisting, leading edge gouging, tip curling, chordwise scoring, and forward bending. The airframe engine cradle separated from the airframe. Safety Board investigators were unable to rotate the crankshaft. The engine was disassembled at Spider's Aircraft, Montgomery Field, on August 24, 1995. The disassembly examination showed no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures. See Teledyne Continental Motors Examination Report contained herein this report for a detailed description of the disassembly examination. Medical and Pathological Information At the time of this report, the pilot remained in critical condition in a semicomatose state. Toxicological examinations were not performed; nor were they requested. Additional Information The airplane and engine were released to the pilot's brother on September 11, 1995. The airplane was at the pilot's hangar at Montgomery Field, when released.
the pilot's improper fuel management and improper use of the fuel selector valve.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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