Oxnard Airport, Oxnard, CA
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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Saturday, August 09, 2008 in
Oxnard, CA
Aircraft: Smith Stewart S51D, registration: N51VS
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 August 9, 2008, about 1514 Pacific daylight time,
a Smith Stewart S51D, amateur built experimental
airplane, N51VS, experienced a loss of engine power
while on approach to land at Oxnard Airport, Oxnard,
California. During the subsequent forced landing,
the airplane sustained substantial damage when it
collided with a fence and building. The private
pilot, who was the owner and builder of the
airplane, received serious injuries. Visual
meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code
of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal
cross-country flight, and no flight plan was filed.
The flight departed from Tehachapi, California, at
an unknown time with an intended destination of
Oxnard.
Oxnard Fire Department personnel reported that the
airplane impacted the chain link fence backstop of a
ball field and then struck a school bus barn. The
wing separated from the fuselage and fuel was
observed leaking from the wing.
= = =
Accident occurred Tuesday, March 11, 2008 in Oxnard,
CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/30/2008
Aircraft: Bell 206B, registration: N7028J
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot stated that he was performing an aerial
application on a celery crop with the skids about
24-inches above the tops of the crop. While in
straight and level flight, the landing skids
contacted the crop and the helicopter pitched
forward. The front of the skids dug into terrain and
the helicopter tumbled before it came to rest on its
side. Examination of the helicopter revealed
substantial damage to the fuselage and the tail boom
was separated. No mechanical anomalies were noted
with the engine or flight control system.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with
terrain during an aerial application.
= = =
Accident occurred Friday, May 26, 2006 in Oxnard, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/25/2007
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-151, registration: N4596X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 2 Minor.
The aircraft collided with a car during a forced
landing attempt following a loss of engine power in
the traffic pattern. According to controllers in the
Air Traffic Control Tower, the pilot reported that
the engine quit shortly after takeoff from runway 25
as the airplane was on the upwind leg. The pilot was
attempting to turn the airplane back for runway 7
when it touched down in a field and then struck a
car traveling south on a city street, about a
1/4-mile west of the airport. A Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector
responded to the accident site. He observed witness
marks in an adjacent field that he indicated were
tire marks from the landing gear of the airplane.
The airplane then traveled in an easterly direction
about 350 feet where it impacted and went through a
chain link fence, crossed the north bound side of a
city street, and collided with a sport utility
vehicle (SUV) traveling southbound on the street.
Responding
firefighters noted fuel leaking out of the left wing
tank and found that the right wing tank was full of
fuel. Subsequent interviews disclosed that multiple
individuals manipulated the fuel selector valve in
an attempt to staunch the flow of fuel, and the
preimpact position of the fuel selector valve could
not be reliably determined. The airframe and engine
were subjected to detailed examinations and tests
following recovery of the airplane to the airport.
No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or
failure was found that would explain the loss of
engine power. The only anomaly was the fuel selector
valve handle, which was of a non-standard size and
configuration that would allow the valve handle to
bypass the safety stop and rotate a full 360
degrees.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
= = =
Accident occurred Friday, May 20, 2005 in Oxnard, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/13/2005
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-181, registration: N8460N
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane's left wing impacted a building while
the pilot was taxiing toward a transient parking
area following an uneventful landing. When the pilot
commenced a right turn and attempted to proceed
between parked airplanes and a building, he diverted
his attention toward the parked airplanes and
misjudged his clearance from the building.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate
clearance from the building. The pilot's diverted
attention was a factor.
= = =
Accident occurred Monday, March 07, 2005 in Oxnard,
CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/14/2007
Aircraft: Cessna 210L, registration: N2044S
Injuries: 5 Uninjured.
As the pilot turned the airplane onto the active
runway, he saw white flashes coming from the engine
gauges in the instrument panel. He did not believe
there was a problem, and continued the takeoff run.
About 1,000 feet down the runway, smoke started to
enter the cabin, and he stopped the airplane and
evacuated the passengers. When he returned to the
cabin area, he noted a fire concentrated in the
engine gauge instrument cluster area of the panel.
He put the fire out, but by the time the fire
department arrived, the fire had restarted. The
cabin area sustained structural damage during the
fire. Investigation found that the wire bundles in
the engine gauge area had missing insulation and
beading. The engine instrument section was removed
for inspection, and a pinhole was found on the steel
fuel pressure line. A Safety Board materials
specialist examined the fuel pressure line, and
noted copper material and damage that was consistent
with electrical
arcing of a copper wire on another metal surface.
The airframe manufacturer issued Service Bulletin
SEB98-7 in 1998, which required an inspection of the
fuel line between the firewall and fuel flow gauge
for abrasion damage. No evidence was found that the
service bulletin had been complied with. While the
service bulletin was not mandatory, had it been
addressed, the damage to the fuel line may have been
found in a timely manner before the onset of the
fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A pinhole leak in the fuel pressure line during the
takeoff roll that was ignited by an electrical arc
associated with wires adjacent to the fuel line. A
contributing factor in the accident was the failure
of maintenance personnel to comply with a
manufacturer's service bulletin that addressed
potential damage to the fuel line.
= = =
Accident occurred Tuesday, November 09, 2004 in
Oxnard, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2006
Aircraft: American Eurocopter AS350-BA,
registration: N655TV
Injuries: 2 Minor.
During a practice autorotation, the collective down
lock engaged, which resulted in an uncontrolled
descent and collision with terrain. The pilot and an
instructor pilot were conducting the first practice
autorotation of a planned series, and the pilot
entered the autorotation about 500 feet above ground
level. After lowering the collective the pilot kept
the collective in the down position until he was in
the flare. When the pilot tried to pull up on the
collective, it would not move and both pilots saw
that the collective down lock had engaged. Both
pilots attempted to unlatch the collective, but they
were unsuccessful. With the collective locked at
flat pitch, the helicopter impacted the ground hard
in a level attitude with some forward speed and it
rolled over. Post accident investigation revealed
the helicopter was equipped with an aftermarket
avionics control panel. The collective lever lock is
installed on this control panel console; it is a
spring steel plate with a hole in it to capture the
collective locking tab. The lock also has a rubber
grommet below the locking hole to dampen any
vibration. With the collective in the full down
position, the aftermarket console has about a
1/16-inch clearance between the lock plate and the
collective lock tab, while the Eurocopter stock
console panel has a 1/2-inch clearance. Exemplar
aircraft with both the stock and aftermarket
consoles were examined. In some of the aircraft, the
grommet was not touching the console. This condition
would allow the locking lever to vibrate and also
decrease the clearance between the locking plate and
the locking tab. This accident is the second known
accident where the collective lock has inadvertently
engaged in-flight with this particular aftermarket
avionics panel installed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The inadvertent in-flight engagement of the
collective down lock, which resulted in an
uncontrolled descent and ground impact. The
collective down lock engagement was likely due to a
combination of the reduced clearance between the
lock plate and the collective with this avionics
panel design, the collective down lock
alignment/adjustment, and the tendency of the
flexible lock plate to vibrate with the natural
harmonic rhythmus of the helicopter.
= = =
Accident occurred Saturday, December 27, 2003 in
Oxnard, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 3/30/2005
Aircraft: Bellanca 7ECA, registration: N53879
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane ground looped during the landing roll.
After touchdown, the pilot applied right rudder and
the pedal became stuck in a near full forward
position. The pilot was then unable to maintain
directional control and the airplane turned
approximately 270 degrees on the runway and came to
rest. A post accident inspection revealed that the
pin that secured the right rudder pedal to the brake
cylinder arm was missing. There was also evidence of
aluminum shavings at the pin attachment point. An
identical problem was discovered by the operator on
the sister ship to the accident airplane. The pin on
the sister ship was changed a few weeks before the
accident. The operator intended to examine the
rudder pedal pins on the accident airplane in the
next scheduled maintenance period. The manufacturer
of the airplane indicated that the pin can be
installed either outboard or inboard of the cotter
key. As depicted in Figure 26 of the Parts Manual,
the
installation of the pin is depicted as inboard of
the cotter key. In this model of the airplane, the
battery is located in the forward section of the
fuselage and a structural angle brace is installed
for support. On the right pedal of the forward seat,
the clearance between the pin and the angle brace is
reduced with the angle brace in the design location
if the pin is installed inboard of the cotter key.
If the pin is installed outboard of the cotter key,
it allows for greater clearance between the pin and
the angle brace.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
the failure of the pin that secured the right rudder
pedal to the brake cylinder arm due to improper
installation of the pin. Also causal was the
manufacturer's confusing maintenance instructions
regarding the installation of the right rudder pedal
pin and cotter key.
= = =
Accident occurred Sunday, September 08, 2002 in
OXNARD, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/29/2004
Aircraft: Lockamy SONEX, registration: N164JL
Injuries: 1 Serious.
The experimental airplane experienced a propeller
drive shaft failure and collided with the terrain
during a forced landing at an airport. During the
initial climb, about 300 to 400 feet above ground
level, the engine surged and the airplane could not
sustain lift. The engine was still producing power,
but failed to distribute that power to the
propeller. With a lemon grove directly ahead, the
pilot opted to turn back to the runway to land. As
he began a left turn toward the runway, the left
wing impacted the dirt and the airplane
"cartwheeled." Examinations revealed that the
propeller hub had separated from the crankshaft. The
tapered spacer, attached to crankshaft, had
loosened. This instantaneous torque load to the
crankshaft resulted in the propeller hub separating
from the remaining taper, and the bolt unscrewing
from the crankshaft.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
the loosening of the tapered spacer, which resulted
in the propeller hub separating from the crankshaft.
A factor in the accident was the unsuitable terrain
for landing.
= = =
Accident occurred Sunday, April 22, 2001 in OXNARD,
CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/28/2001
Aircraft: Piper PA-22-135, registration: N75343
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane made an off field forced landing
following a loss of engine power during climb out
from a touch-and-go landing. The pilot had practiced
touch-and-go landings for over an hour and
experienced no difficulties with the airplane. After
a break, he completed another preflight inspection
and practiced more landings. As the airplane climbed
through 200 feet on the fourth takeoff, the engine
made a clunking noise and stopped producing power.
He steered the airplane to an open field and landed
on soft dirt, but the airplane dug in and damaged
the wings, stabilizer, landing gear, and propeller.
The engine had accumulated about 1,860 hours since
it had been manufactured in 1953, and the factory
had no record of it returning since that time. The
engine had accumulated about 910 hours since a field
overhaul in 1960, and about 255 hours since a "top
overhaul" in 1970, when the exhaust valves were
replaced. All cylinders were undamaged except
cylinder No.
3, which exhibited extensive mechanical damage. The
exhaust valve for cylinder No. 3 fractured and
separated where the valve stem transitions to the
valve head. The fracture surfaces on the valve
pieces were obliterated by the mechanical damage.
The piston face exhibited mechanical damage over
most of its surface, which contained two holes. The
corresponding push rod was slightly bent, but there
was no evidence of the valve sticking.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The fracture and separation of the number 3 cylinder
exhaust valve head resulting in a loss of engine
power and a forced landing. A factor in the accident
was the soft field where the forced landing
occurred.
= = =
Accident occurred Thursday, November 16, 2000 in
Oxnard, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/6/2002
Aircraft: Cessna 210K, registration: N8118G
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
During the initial approach descent from cruise
altitude, the engine lost power. The pilot richened
the fuel mixture, which increased the engine
vibrations. The pilot noticed the manifold pressure
dropping and reduced the throttle. As power was
reapplied, vibrations of a higher magnitude
occurred. Los Angeles ARTCC (air route traffic
control center) was notified of the emergency and
directed the pilot to the nearest airport for
landing. After considering the distance to the
closest airport, the pilot decided to put the
airplane down in a vacant dirt lot. The engine was
installed the previous May and the postcrash
inspection revealed a broken cam gear. The new
engine was a factory remanufactured Continental
IO-550. It replaced the original Continental IO-520,
and its installation was authorized under a
supplemental type certificate (STC).
The National Transportation Safety Board determines
the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Failure of the internal cam gear in the
remanufactured engine. A factor was the congested
obstacles in the forced landing area.
Oxnard
Airport Approach / Landing:
