Fullerton Municipal Airport, Fullerton, CA

Fullerton Municipal Airport is located 3 miles west of Fullerton California;

Fullerton Municipal Airport Today:  Obstructions reported; tower 2 miles north west; Intensive flight training; helicopter operations;



Airport Services and Amenities: Aviation Facilities, Inc.; Air Combat USA; Funoutside Aviation Academy; General Aviation Company; Helipads; Restaurant on the field; Tartuffle's; Lodging nearby;

Special Events and Attractions: Beach; Disneyland; Knott's Berry Farm; Wax Museum;

Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Tuesday, September 30, 2008 in Fullerton, CA
Aircraft: CESSNA 172S, registration: N2190W
Injuries: 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On September 30, 2008, about 1835 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N2190W, impacted terrain following a loss of control on takeoff from runway 24 at Fullerton Municipal Airport, Fullerton, California. The student pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local solo instructional flight, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot was operating the airplane under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight was originating when the accident occurred.

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the accident site and reported that the wreckage path began with fiberglass fragments and scaring consistent with the airplane's tail tie down ring/skid contacting the runway. The airplane then departed the left side of the runway, impacted a runway/taxiway sign, became airborne, and impacted another runway/taxiway sign. Approximately 1,000 feet down the runway from the second sign impact, fragments of the right wingtip and gouges in the asphalt were found consistent with the airplane colliding with the runway in a nose down, right wing low attitude. The airplane came to rest inverted on the right side of the runway with its longitudinal axis aligned near perpendicular to the runway.

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Accident occurred Friday, June 27, 2008 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/28/2008
Aircraft: Cessna T206H, registration: N1296M
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot was conducting a normal approach to landing and reported that he maintained proper airspeed and alignment to the runway. The airplane was centered and nose-high as the main gear touched down. The pilot said the airplane suddenly tipped to the left, the propeller struck the runway, and then the right wing tip contacted the runway surface. The airplane came to rest at the center of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar. Inspection of the airplane under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no discrepancies with the rudder and brake systems and control system components. The rudder and aileron trim positions were neutral, and there was a difference of about 2 gallons of fuel between the wing tanks. Inspectors also found that the main landing gear wheel fairings were properly installed with no anomalies.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing touchdown, resulting in the wings contacting the runway surface and a propeller strike.

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Accident occurred Wednesday, December 26, 2007 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2008
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, registration: N13974
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The student pilot had landed the airplane, exited the runway and was taxiing to parking. The tower controller informed the pilot that a helicopter was above him and to his right. The pilot looked to the right and saw the helicopter. While watching the helicopter, the pilot added right brake and throttle to move the airplane towards the center line of the taxiway. As the airplane turned, the pilot felt a jolt and saw that the airplane's left wing had contacted a utility trailer, substantially damaging the wing spar. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had looked to all sides before turning and not allowed himself to be distracted by the presence of the helicopter.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention.

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Accident occurred Saturday, September 25, 2004 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/31/2006
Aircraft: Bushmaster Aircraft 2000, registration: N750RW
Injuries: 2 Serious, 2 Minor.
The airplane crashed onto a street adjacent to the airport shortly after takeoff. As the airplane started its takeoff roll, it began to veer to the left off of the runway. About midway down the runway the airplane lifted off the ground and flew over a crowd of people assembled at the airport for an airport appreciation day. The airplane climbed to about 50 feet, made a steep roll to the left, flying in-between the control tower and a light pole, and crossed over the boundary fence where the left wing struck a moving vehicle before coming to rest against several parked cars. Numerous photographs (including video footage) were taken by witnesses on the airport of the airplane on the takeoff ground roll and throughout the accident sequence. The photographs clearly show a nylon strap connecting the left elevator and rudder. It was surmised that the use of the nylon strap was as a flight control/gust lock for the airplane. During the investigation, a nylon
strap was observed hanging from an S-hook that was attached to the vertical stabilizer/rudder hinge attach point. The loop at the other end of the strap had come apart, and when investigators looked under the left stabilizer/elevator hinge attach area they noted a similar S-hook attached to the hinge attach area.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the inadequate preflight inspection by the pilot-in-command, where the pilot failed to remove the makeshift gust lock attached to the rudder and left elevator of the airplane. As a result, the airplane veered off the runway surface during the takeoff roll, became airborne, and immediately began an uncontrolled descending left roll until impacting vehicles and the ground.

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Accident occurred Monday, November 11, 2002 in FULLERTON, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/29/2004
Aircraft: Mooney M20J, registration: N1072N
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot made a forced, gear up landing after losing engine power on takeoff. The right wing contacted the ground and the airplane landed hard on its belly. Postaccident inspection of the fuel system revealed that the right fuel tank was contaminated with approximately 32 ounces of water. Water was also found in the fuel distributor valve. The pilot stated that he performed a preflight check that included checking the fuel. He noted no discrepancies with the fuel or fuel system. The pilot departed with the fuel selector positioned on the right tank.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection resulting in a loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel system.

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Accident occurred Friday, April 26, 2002 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/29/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 177B, registration: N177DP
Injuries: 2 Minor, 1 Uninjured.
During cruise flight, the airplane's engine seized and the pilot made a forced landing. During the landing flare over a baseball field, the airplane collided with poles and came to rest partially inverted. The airplane had been operated about 188 hours since last receiving an annual inspection on April 5, 2001, approximately 1 calendar year prior to the accident. Upon completion of the 2001 inspection, repair station personnel, who maintained the airplane for the pilot-owner, reported in the airplane's maintenance logbook that (emergency) airworthiness directive (AD) number 2000-18-53 was not applicable. This was an error. The repair station failed to note that the AD was pertinent to the oil filter converter plate gasket it had installed in the airplane's engine, and it should have so indicated by making an appropriate maintenance logbook entry. Compliance with the AD required, in part, that the gasket be replaced on a recurring 50-hour basis. The FAA
indicated that gasket replacement was warranted because "...protruding or swelling of the gasket allows oil to leak from between the plate and the accessory housing. This condition, if not corrected, could result in complete loss of engine oil and subsequent seizing of the engine...." During the Safety Board investigator's examination of the airplane, only 8 ounces of oil were found in the 8-quart capacity oil sump, and the bottom of the airplane was oil soaked. The oil leak originated from a breach in the oil converter plate gasket. A 3/4-inch-long section of the gasket material was observed protruding from between the plate and the accessory housing. The engine's seizure was attributed to the loss of engine oil emanating from the extruded converter plate gasket, resulting in lubricating deprivation to the internal reciprocating components.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The total loss of engine power during cruise flight resulting from oil exhaustion. The oil exhaustion resulted from deterioration and total failure of the oil filter converter plate gasket, which had not been replaced due to maintenance personnel's failure to comply with an airworthiness directive.

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Accident occurred Sunday, August 26, 2001 in FULLERTON, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/25/2003
Aircraft: Piper PA-32-301T, registration: N9288X
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with a fence during an aborted takeoff. The pilot flew to Fullerton on Tuesday, August 21, and noted no discrepancies. The airplane was full of fuel, and everything checked normal during preflight, taxi, and engine run-up. During the departure, the pilot applied full throttle and noted 38.5 inches of manifold pressure at 2,500 rpm. He crosschecked instruments and his alignment. He was approaching midfield and noted his airspeed was above 65 knots, but not increasing. The manifold pressure looked the same, but the rpm was below 2,500; he thought it had dropped about 100 rpm. The airplane did not feel or sound like it was accelerating. He had not detected any hesitation in the engine, and did not hear any metallic sounds. He elected to abort the takeoff as he passed midfield and pulled the throttle back. He was unable to stop on the runway and collided with an airport boundary fence about 20 feet past the end of the runway shearing
off the landing gear and substantially damaging the left wing. During post accident examination of the airplane, the pilot started the engine using his normal procedures. The propeller cycled normally, and both magnetos dropped 50 rpm on the magneto check. The pilot ran the engine up to full takeoff power, and all instruments, including manifold pressure and rpm, went to their red (maximum) limit marks. The pilot reduced power to idle and then ran the engine back to full power with no anomalies noted. The pilot secured the engine using his normal procedures with no difficulties encountered.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The engine lost power for unknown reasons.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, August 07, 2001 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/30/2003
Aircraft: Cessna 150L, registration: N6688G
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The airplane collided with trees during a forced landing to a city street following a loss of engine power during an approach to land. The engine began to run rough and lost power passing through 2,000 feet as the airplane approached the airport. The pilot started the engine, but it continued to run rough, and then stopped producing power again. He didn't think he could glide to a school yard so he elected to land on the city street and the wing collided with a tree. A white, sandy substance was discovered in the carburetor bowl. A ball of fibrous contamination was found in the inlet screen which blocked approximately 15 percent of the screen. Also, water and a white substance were discovered in the bottom of the fuel strainer.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, March 20, 2001 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/28/2001
Aircraft: Beech C35, registration: N7MK
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
On the landing rollout the right main landing gear began to collapse. The right wing struck a runway exit sign as the flight instructor aborted the landing then made an uneventful landing at home base. The purpose of the flight was to provide transition training for insurance coverage for the owner. After touchdown the pilot observed a 5-knot crosswind from the left and applied left aileron to correct for it. The airplane veered to the right contacting the runway exit sign. There was damage to the inside of the right main tire, the inner landing gear door, the right main gear actuating arm, and the right wheel well aft bulkhead that was consistent with premature retraction of the landing gear. The landing gear was electrically tested with no mechanical anomalies noted.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The premature retraction of the landing gear and the failure of the CFI to properly supervise the flight.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, April 11, 2000 in Fullerton, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/15/2003
Aircraft: Beech B36TC, registration: N6791P
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The single engine airplane impacted a house after experiencing a loss of control while returning to land. The commercial pilot reported to air traffic controllers that the cabin door came open during takeoff. The pilot was attempting to return the airplane to the departure runway when the air traffic controller heard the pilot's voice say, "Emergency, I've got . . ." Witnesses observed black smoke emanating from the exhaust stack. One witness observed the airplane flying low and slow at a high angle of attack with the landing gear extended. He then observed the airplane stall and spin, rotating 1.5 times before losing site of the airplane. Another witness, who was located near the accident site, stated the engine stopped making noise prior to the accident. The airplane impacted a power line and home in a residential area. No anomalies were noted with the airplane and engine that would have prevented its operation; however, the engine did display
signatures of operation with an excessively rich mixture. The auxiliary fuel pump, which was unguarded and located adjacent to the landing gear selector switch, was found in the HI position. Operation with the auxiliary fuel pump in the HI position, with an operative engine-driven fuel pump, can result in a complete loss of engine power once the pilot reduced power for landing.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention with the loss of engine power from his inadvertent activation of the auxiliary fuel pump, and the open cabin door.



Fullerton Municipal Airport Approach / Landing: