Riverside Municipal Airport, Riverside, CA

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Airport Area Accident History:
Accident occurred Thursday, March 20, 2008 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/30/2008
Aircraft: Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-D, registration: N3942H
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The pilot fueled the airplane, sumped the wing tanks, and departed. The engine lost power at the end of the runway on climb out. He made a forced landing on the grass infield of the airport. The nose wheel went into a gopher hole, and the airplane nosed forward. Post crash examination established that the firewall sustained damage. The pilot reported that he also found water in the gascolator, and that the water most likely got into the fuel system during recent rains. He opined that a more thorough preflight could have prevented the accident.

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

Water contamination of the fuel system due to the pilot's inadequate preflight and failure to adequately drain the water from the fuel system.

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Accident occurred Wednesday, February 27, 2008 in Riverside, CA
Aircraft: Mooney M20C, registration: N591BB
Injuries: 3 Fatal.

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 February 27, 2008, at 2207 Pacific standard time (PST), a Mooney M20C, N591BB, crashed during takeoff from Riverside Municipal Airport (RAL), Riverside, California. The Co-owner/Pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, and two passengers were killed; the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and the post crash fire. The local personal flight departed at 2207, with a planned destination of Corona Municipal Airport (AJO), Corona, California. Visual night meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

Interviews with the family and friends of the pilot and passengers indicated that the flight departed Corona for a local personal flight. The accident airplane landed at Riverside Airport about 2000. The pilot and passengers intended to eat at the airport restaurant, but the restaurant was closed. The pilot contacted his fiancée, who drove to the airport to pick them up, and take them to a restaurant in the local area for dinner.

After dinner they drove back to the airport, and the pilot and passengers boarded the airplane for the return flight to Corona. The fiancée did not wait at the airport to see the airplane takeoff.

During takeoff a witness reported that once airborne the airplane was "porpoising" up and down as it flew towards him. As the airplane neared the end of the runway, he saw it make a steep climbing left turn. The witness stated that the airplane rolled inverted and descended towards the ground in a nose down attitude. The airplane then impacted a palm tree and a vehicle that was parked on the residential street located just south of the airport. After the airplane impacted the ground, the witness saw an explosion and a fire ball.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, January 08, 2008 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 2/28/2008
Aircraft: Robinson R-22, registration: N8280J
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot reported that while making an approach to a hover about 15 feet above ground level (agl), he applied power and collective to stop the decent rate and the helicopter began to yaw to the right. Despite the pilot adding left anti-torque pedal and increasing power, the helicopter continued to yaw to the right and ascended 50 to 75 feet. The pilot stated he lowered the collective and reduced power until the helicopter descended through about 25 feet agl, and then he raised the collective for landing. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard within sandy terrain on the shoreline of a lake. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail boom and firewall sustained substantial damage. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the examination.

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

The pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper use of the collective control.

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Accident occurred Sunday, November 12, 2006 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/20/2007
Aircraft: Ryan Navion B, registration: N5348K
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
During the takeoff climb the engine lost power and the pilot made a forced landing in an open field. About 50-100 feet agl, with no remaining runway, the engine began to run rough. Shortly thereafter the engine lost all power. The pilot stated that he had already raised the landing gear before the engine began to run rough. He lowered the landing gear and made the forced landing in the field. The landing gear was only partially extended when the airplane touched down. Post accident examination revealed that air was leaking into the fuel system through worn seals in the fuel selector valve and gascolator. The Type Certificate Holder for the airplane issued Service Bulletin (SB) 101A, which recommended inspection of the fuel selector valve for leaks that allow air intrusion. An annual inspection had taken place 4 hours prior to the accident. Inspection of the airframe logbooks revealed no record of SB 101A having been performed.

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

A leak in the fuel selector valve and gascolator that resulted in fuel starvation on takeoff due to air leakage into the fuel system. A contributing factor in the accident was the inadequate annual inspection performed by other maintenance personnel.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, October 11, 2005 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2006
Aircraft: Bellanca 17-30A, registration: N14715
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane impacted a fence following a loss of control during landing. The pilot reported that he had just made a normal landing when the airplane veered off the runway to the left. The pilot attempted to correct by applying right rudder inputs, and when that had no effect, the pilot attempted to execute a go-around by applying full throttle, which only accelerated the left turn. The airplane continued to the left until it impacted a chain link fence located about 100 feet south of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed the nose wheel steering system consists of two rods attached to the top of a T-bar supported by two bearings mounted on the strut tube. The two rods, one on the left and the other on the right, control the steering of the nose wheel. The rod on the right side was fractured and the surfaces exhibited signatures consistent with tension overload failure. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene
reported no skid marks were visible on the runway.



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

The failure of the steering control rod during an unknown phase of the accident flight that resulted in the unavailability of steering control upon landing.

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Accident occurred Saturday, May 01, 2004 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/28/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 195, registration: N195AF
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a ditch during the landing roll. The pilot had completed 10 three-point practice touch-and-go takeoff and landings without mishap, and was attempting his last landing of the day. During the landing roll, the airplane drifted off the centerline to the right. The pilot attempted to counteract the drift by applying left rudder pressure. The airplane continued to veer in a right arc off the side of the runway and encountered a ditch. The airplane impacted terrain, pushing the engine into the firewall and forcing the cockpit floor upward. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to impact. Later, the pilot stated that the factors that he thought contributed to the accident were a quartering right tailwind, lack of left tail wheel steering, impeded rudder control, pilot error/lack of experience for not attempting to steer via the use of differential braking, and the presence of a
ditch in close proximity to the runway. He reported that there was a 4-knot right quartering tailwind from 070 degrees. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and found no evidence of a malfunction or failure with the brake, control, or ground steering systems. The accident flight was the pilot's first solo flight in the make and model, although he had previously accumulated about 140 hours in the same make and model.


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

the pilot's failure to maintain directional control, resulting in a veer off the runway and collision with terrain.

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Accident occurred Saturday, February 14, 2004 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 4/28/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, registration: N262TA
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane departed the taxiway and collided with terrain while taxiing from landing. After taxiing off the runway, the controller cleared the pilot to taxi to the ramp area. He was unfamiliar with the airport and requested further instructions. In an effort to comply with what he thought the controller was telling him to do, he departed the taxiway. He continued down a grassy area and collided with a median. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.

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

the pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in his failure to maintain proper alignment with the taxiway. Factors in the accident were the dusk lighting conditions and pilot not understanding the ground control taxi clearance.

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Accident occurred Thursday, January 01, 2004 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 6/8/2005
Aircraft: Piper PA-32R-300, registration: N589Q
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.
Following a catastrophic engine failure in cruise, the airplane collided with multiple ground obstacles during a forced landing in a field. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight he first noticed a "burning smell," which was followed a short time later by a low oil pressure indication. The pilot then felt a vibration, followed by a brief engine overspeed to 3,000 rpm, and then the engine lost all power. He performed a forced landing in a field and collided with multiple ground obstacles. Post accident examination of the engine at the accident site revealed that the No. 6 connecting rod had penetrated the engine crank case. An excess of engine oil was found on the bottom of the airplane. Further examination revealed an oil filter gasket, Lycoming part number LW-13388, was extruded at the base of the filter assembly and had allowed virtually all engine oil to escape. A Lycoming Mandatory Service Bulletin MSB-543, and an emergency Airworthiness
Directive (AD) 2000-18-53, that was later superceded by AD 2002-12-17, was applicable to this potential problem, and required repetitive inspections and gasket replacement or replacement of the gasket adapter plate with a different part number. The investigation could find no evidence of compliance with either AD.

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

engine oil exhaustion due to the extrusion of an oil filter converter plate gasket and the failure of the aircraft owner to comply with a mandatory Service Bulletin and a Federal Aviation Administration emergency Airworthiness Directive.

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Accident occurred Sunday, August 24, 2003 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/25/2003
Aircraft: Cessna 172M, registration: N64291
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with terrain during landing. The pilots were practicing a short field landing with the student pilot at the controls. The airplane got low on short final. The CFI recognized that the airplane was too low, took over the airplane controls, and simultaneously added power and raised the nose. The airplane struck a berm that led up to the approach threshold of the runway. The airplane bounced and came to rest on the approach end of runway.


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

The student pilot's misjudged distance and altitude, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Also causal was the instructor's delayed remedial action.

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Accident occurred Friday, June 13, 2003 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Eurocopter France AS 350 B2, registration: N6087C
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The public use operator of the helicopter reported that the purpose of the flight was for the flying pilot to receive an annual proficiency check. During a simulated "stuck" anti-torque pedal emergency landing procedure, the flying pilot attempted to land the helicopter on a hard surfaced runway while the helicopter still had significant yaw. The helicopter touched down twice, and landed hard on the second touchdown, resulting in structural damage to the helicopter's fuselage and drive train components. Both pilots held flight instructor and airline transport certificates. The check pilot did not intercede or apply remedial action while the flying pilot was attempting to land with the simulated stuck pedal.

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

The flying pilot's failure to align the helicopter during a simulated emergency landing, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the helicopter. A factor associated with the accident was the check pilot's failure to initiate remedial action.

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Accident occurred Saturday, May 31, 2003 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Winters Glasair SH-2, registration: N73VL
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
The experimental single-engine airplane collided with terrain following a loss of control after takeoff. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane takeoff, climb to 200 to 300 feet (agl), make a sharp left turn, and nose-dive into the ground. A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of pre-impact anomalies to the airframe or engine.

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 an abrupt, low altitude maneuver during the takeoff-initial climb, which resulted in a collision with terrain during the subsequent uncontrolled descent.

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Accident occurred Monday, October 21, 2002 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/28/2004
Aircraft: Cessna 210C, registration: N9788X
Injuries: 1 Serious, 2 Minor.
During the instrument approach the engine quit, and the pilot attempted a forced landing in hilly terrain and poor visibility. According to flight planning information recovered from inside the airplane, it had departed with full fuel (63.5 useable gallons). The airplane had been airborne for about 3:17 hours at the time of the accident. Prior to disassembly of the airplane for recovery, the recovery agent drained the fuel tanks. The left tank had about 13 gallons of blue liquid with the odor of aviation gasoline, and the right tank was empty. The manufacturer ran the engine in a test cell. It performed normally without any hesitation or interruptions in power from idle to full throttle.


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

the pilot's failure to position the fuel selector to the tank containing fuel resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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Accident occurred Thursday, July 05, 2001 in RIVERSIDE, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/30/2003
Aircraft: Bell 47D-1, registration: N64580
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The helicopter experienced a rough running engine on short final approach and entered an autorotation, but made a hard landing and sustained substantial damage. The crankshaft failed as the result of fatigue cracking initiated by surface damage and localized overheating. The crankshaft was reportedly overhauled 165 hours prior to the failure. Optical examinations of the fracture faces found beach marks and crack arrest lines indicative of fatigue cracking though the majority of the crank cheek. Further examinations established that the fatigue initiated at two origins on the aft radius surface of the No. 3 main bearing journal about halfway between the journal and cheek surfaces. An oil stain covered the aft radius and cleaning revealed wide spread surface damage to the radius. The presence of an oil stain on top of the damage indicates that the damage occurred either during the overhaul or soon there after and was not a result of the failure. The damage
extended from the journal surface up to the level of the origin area and completely around the journal. The surface damage consisted of circumferential scoring, intermittent tearing, and material flow. The radius also had a slight bronze hue. Further cleaning and inspections found similar damage and coloration on the forward radius of the No. 3 main bearing but no damage to other journal radii. The direct visual examination of the No. 3 main bearing journal surface showed heavy circumferential scoring and roughening but no visual indications of overheating. The majority of the other journals, both rod and main, also displayed similar scoring but to lesser degrees. Measurements established that the diameters of all main bearing journals were between 2.238 and 2.240 inches. All rod journals measured 1.927 inches in diameter. Conversations with a distributor for new Franklin engines indicated that standard bearing sizes for 6A-335 engines are 2.250 to
2.249 inches for mains and 1.9375 to 1.9365 inches for rods. Bearings for 0.010- and 0.020-inch undersize journals are available for both the main and rod journals. The measurements on the fractured crankshaft are consistent with 0.010 inch under size journals for both the mains and rods. The presence of a white layer along with the undersized journals does indicate that the crankshaft had been renitrided at some point in time. The Franklin 6V-335 was originally certificated in 1956. The type certificate is now held by iyPZL-RzeszowlÈ (PZL) of Poland.

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

The engine crankshaft's failure as the result of fatigue cracking initiated by surface damage and localized overheating due to the installation at overhaul of incorrectly sized bearings.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, May 08, 2001 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/15/2002
Aircraft: Beech BE77, registration: N3865D
Injuries: 1 Minor.
According to the student pilot, he was practicing ground reference maneuvers over and around Lake Mathews. He said he was finishing up a few power on and power off stalls, when he thought he would practice a couple of emergency landings. He said he was familar with the procedure and had practiced them several times with no problems. The first attempt was sucessful. However, on the second attempt, he began his climb-out, flaps fully extended with full power. He was subjected to turbulence from the right, raising the right wing, at which time he lost some altitude. He regained control with aileron and rudder input. He realized that he was not climbing, instead he was losing altitude. He said that he never regained enough altitude to raise the flaps. He made a forced landing in rough terrain and thick brush, collided with a bush and nosed over.

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

The student pilot's failure to maintain appropriate airspeed and to configure the airplane for climb-out.

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Accident occurred Saturday, May 05, 2001 in Riverside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/23/2002
Aircraft: Aero Commander 112A, registration: N1159J
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
On the landing rollout, the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway, and collided with a ditch. The purpose of the flight was to conduct three takeoffs and landings for currency. The accident landing was the first landing of the day. On the landing rollout the airplane went to the left and the pilot corrected back to runway centerline. The airplane then moved to the right of centerline. The pilot attempted to correct back to runway centerline with left rudder input and then left brake; however, the airplane continued to the right and into a ditch. A postaccident examination of the nose wheel and steering assembly revealed excessive play or wear that may have reduced steering control.

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

Failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll. A factor was the worn nose wheel steering assembly.

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Accident occurred Tuesday, April 11, 2000 in RIVERSIDE, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 7/17/2001
Aircraft: TAYLOR SMITH WITMAN W-10, registration: N90TS
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The pilot made a 3-point landing, then bounced back into the air. He added power and the airplane veered to the left. The airplane departed the runway and collided with a fence running parallel to the runway.

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

failure of the pilot to recover from a bounced landing resulting in a loss of directional control and collision with a fence.

Riverside Muncipal Airport Approach / Landing: