Palmdale Regional Airport, Palmdale, CA

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Palmdale Regional Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Friday, July 01, 2005 in Palmdale, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/30/2006
Aircraft: Quiksilver MX LII Sport, registration: None
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The airplane impacted terrain just after takeoff. A relative of the pilot reported that just prior to the accident, the relative and the pilot attempted to takeoff. The airplane would not gain altitude due to a control problem so the pilot dropped the relative off and departed alone. Immediately following the takeoff, when the airplane was about 75 feet above ground level, the airplane banked to the left, then the right, and descended into the terrain. The Federal Aviation Administration accident coordinator inspected the airplane and found no evidence of power or control malfunctions. Review of the aircraft specifications disclosed that it exceed the limitations of 14 CFR Part 103.1 for classification as an ultralight. The pilot did not hold any FAA pilot certificates. According to records of the United States Ultralight Association, Inc. (USUA) and the FAA, the pilot did not hold a training exemption for this ultralight, nor had a waiver been
issued for 14 CFR 103.7. Records reviewed by USUA personnel indicated that the pilot was a registered ultralight pilot since 1986.

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

an in-flight loss of control for undetermined reasons.

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Accident occurred Thursday, May 20, 2004 in Palmdale, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2006
Aircraft: Bell 206L-3, registration: N2019F
Injuries: 2 Minor, 1 Uninjured.
The pilot was performing an aerial filming operation when he heard a bang, perceived a loss of engine power, and made an autorotative landing, which resulted in a rollover. The helicopter was heading in a southerly direction, at 200 feet above ground level (agl) and at 80 knots, in a left-hand turn, when the pilot heard a bang and felt a loss of engine power. He entered an autorotation and maneuvered the helicopter towards an open field. He checked for engine power by pulling up on the collective as he descended and did not feel any power, however, he did not check his engine instruments to verify the loss of engine power. The pilot flared the helicopter and landed hard, then it rolled over on its right side. Examination of the wreckage found evidence of driving torsional deformation in the forward short shaft (engine oil cooler/tail rotor drive shaft ). The flight control push-pull tubes and bell cranks were traced and continuity was established. The
helicopter's fuel boost pump was energized and 27 gallons of fuel was successfully pumped up to the airframe fuel filter and deposited in to a 50-gallon fuel drum. Main transmission gearbox and tail rotor gearbox magnetic chip detectors were removed and examined for debris. None were found and both transmissions operated smoothly. The engine was removed from the helicopter and installed in an instrumented test cell. Once started, the engine successfully produced 459 ft-lb of torque. It was then set at flight idle and jam accelerated to max power. No surging or popping of the engine was noticed during the jam acceleration, and the turbine speeds and engine temperatures quickly stabilized. This test was performed two times with similar results. The engine operated in the test cell continuously for 1 hour 15 minutes.

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

The momentary loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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Accident occurred Sunday, February 01, 2004 in Palmdale, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/31/2006
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-181, registration: N4861F
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with power lines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. After about 2 hours 40 minutes of flight, the pilot retarded the throttle to begin his descent into an airport where he planned to refuel. The engine immediately lost power, and he felt roughness and a vibration. He turned the electric fuel boost pump on, and switched fuel tanks . The engine continued to sputter. He could not make a nearby airfield, and set up to land on a road. The airplane collided with power lines on the way down and the rudder separated from the airplane. The pilot was able to land on the road and then collided with multiple obstacles during the ground roll. Examination revealed that the fuel selector valve was on the right tank. The left fuel tank did not sustain mechanical damage, but the right tank was ruptured. There was about 1 quart of fuel in the left tank. There was about 50 milliliters of fuel in the gascolator and the carburetor
contained about 75 milliliters of fuel. Fuel was added to the airplane and the engine was test run using the airplane systems. The engine started immediately. There were no leaks, and the engine did not hesitate, sputter, or backfire.

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

loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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Accident occurred Sunday, February 23, 2003 in Palmdale, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/1/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 310 , registration: N5202A
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with powerlines while diverting to an alternate airport. The pilot stated that the weather conditions deteriorated along his route of flight. He contacted the Flight Service Station (FSS) via radio and was advised the ceiling in Soledad Canyon (the accident location) was about 3,500 feet. The elevation at Soledad Pass on the Los Angeles VFR Terminal Area Chart is 3,225 feet mean sea level (msl). As the pilot entered the canyon, dusk lighting conditions existed and he felt ceiling conditions were lower than those forecast. He decided to divert to an alternate airport instead of continuing on into the canyon. The pilot turned toward the airport and the airplane impacted the powerlines. The airplane then landed at the alternate airport uneventfully. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed damage to both propellers, the nose gear door, and the left tip tank. The closest official weather observation station was reporting a
broken ceiling at 3,600 feet, with higher layers.



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

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate terrain/obstacle clearance altitude. Factors in the accident were the low ceilings and the dusk light illumination.

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Accident occurred Sunday, August 05, 2001 in Palmdale, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/28/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 336, registration: N3838U
Injuries: 1 Serious.
The airplane experienced a loss of engine power in the aft engine and collided with a guardrail during an off-airport emergency landing on a highway. The pilot flew the airplane earlier that afternoon with no mechanical discrepancies noted. After takeoff and leveling off at 4,500 feet, the pilot thought he noticed a loss of engine power in both engines because he was unable to maintain altitude. A forced landing was performed on a highway and the airplane went through a guardrail. A post accident examination revealed the primers were left unlocked with the aft engine primer pulled out approximately 1 inch. Black sooty deposits were discovered on the rear engine spark plugs . The primer is as an optional feature to assist in cold weather operations.

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

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the primer controls, resulting in excessive fuel flow, spark plug fouling , and loss of engine power in the aft engine.


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