Callahan REBEL N6324H

Summary

On 28 May 2003 at about 19:55 local time, a Callahan REBEL registered N6324H was involved in an accident near Clearlake, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2003 at 19:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Clearlake, California, United States

Nearest airport

Red Bluff Municipal Airport (RBL)

Coordinates

38.9611, -122.6333

Aircraft

Callahan REBEL

Registration

N6324H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Roseburg → Novato

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA169

1 person had minor injuries.

fuel starvation due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to correctly position the right fuel valve. Also causal was the pilot's failure to use the checklist.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed the airplane on the slope of a ridge, after losing engine power during cruise flight. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight at 7,500 feet msl, the engine started to run rough. He applied full rich mixture, and pumped the throttle. This alleviated the problem for a while, but then the engine lost total power. He intended to land in clear area; however, the airplane did not have enough altitude to clear an intervening ridge line. The firewall, propeller, and fuselage skin were damaged during the accident. After exiting the airplane, the pilot noted that the right fuel valve was closed. During his preflight procedure he normally turns both fuel valves on to check the fuel drains. He then leaves the valves ON until he lands. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident and stated that the right fuel tank was about 80 percent full of fuel, and the left fuel tank was less than 10 percent full of fuel. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. The pilot did report that if he had used a checklist that the accident could have been prevented.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.