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| Date: | Wednesday 4 May 1994 |
| Time: | 12:28 LT |
| Type: |  Aero Commander 100 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3661X |
| MSN: | 312 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1275 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A2B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ocotillo Wells , CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | |
| San Diego, CA (KSEE) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was known to be susceptible to accumulated water in its tanks and the pilot had experienced previous engine stoppage during takeoff as a result of water in the fuel. The flight before the accident terminated in a precautionary landing at Ocotillo after experiencing a rough running engine. The pilot removed the carburetor, had it serviced, and then reinstalled it himself. After reinstallation, the pilot performed a ground run-up and the aircraft reportedly ran normally. On the day of the accident, the pilot performed a normal preflight. He drained 1 gallon of fuel from the aircraft's gascolator, since there are no quick-drain sumps on either main fuel tank. Immediately on takeoff, the aircraft's engine began to sputter and lose power. The pilot told a ground observer by radio that he wanted to try to gain some altitude and see if the problem would clear up. While in a turn near the ground, the aircraft stalled and crashed next to the runway. Water was found in the carburetor bowl.
Probable Cause: the failure of the pilot to maintain flying speed after experiencing a partial power failure while maneuvering. A factor in the accident was the failure of the pilot to drain accumulated water from the aircraft fuel system during the preflight inspection.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX94FA211
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 10-Apr-2024 07:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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