NTSB Identification: LAX99FA225
Accident occurred JUN-23-99 at VAN NUYS, CA Aircraft: Cessna 402A, registration: N186BA Injuries: 2 Minor, 47 Uninjured. 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 June 23, 1999, at 1450 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 402A, N186BA, struck two school buses while making a forced landing near the Van Nuys, California, airport.
The forced landing was precipitated by a total loss of power in both engines while on a VFR approach for landing at the airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant onboard, was not injured. A bus driver and one student/passenger received minor injuries. There were no injuries to the remaining second bus driver or 45 students.
The aircraft was being operated a positioning flight by Sunshine Airlines, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated from the Laughlin/Bullhead International airport in Bullhead, Arizona, about 1330 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed.
As he approached the Van Nuys airport, the pilot reported that he had initiated his descent and had lowered 15 degrees of flaps. As his descent continued, his left engine lost power. He switched the fuel selector from the left main to the left auxiliary tank; however, the engine did not regain power. The right engine also lost power about that time. The pilot switched that fuel selector from the right main to the right auxiliary tank; however, again, the engine did not regain power. He radioed the airport control tower operator that he had lost all engine power and would be unable to reach the airport.
He subsequently made an off-airport emergency landing on a city surface street about 0.5 miles northwest of the airport. After touching down about 600 feet north of an intersection, the aircraft rolled south until it approached an intersection that displayed a red traffic signal. At the same time, two school buses were approaching the intersection on a cross street, both traveling in opposite directions. As the buses entered the intersection, the wing tips of the aircraft struck the front of each bus. Both wing tips (main tanks) separated from the aircraft and each came to rest within the intersection.
The aircraft continued to rollout without further incident and the pilot braked to a stop about 1,500 feet south of the intersection. The pilot secured the cockpit before he deplaned. After his initial departure from Van Nuys en route to Grand Canyon, Arizona, the pilot noted that he was receiving high oil temperature (above red line) indications from his right engine. Subsequently, he made a precautionary landing in Bullhead City. He contacted the operator who informed him that another aircraft would be dispatched from Van Nuys to take the passengers onto their destination. The operator then instructed the pilot to reposition his aircraft back to the Van Nuys airport.
The pilot reported that he did not add any fuel during his turn around at the Laughlin/Bullhead airport. The aircraft manufacturer stated that the total aircraft fuel capacity is 130 gallons, which includes 50 gallons in each main tank and 15 gallons in each auxiliary tank. The pilot reported that he had 130 gallons onboard when he departed Van Nuys. On his return, he reported having 27 gallons in each main tank and 7 gallons in each auxiliary tank. He stated that he always climbed at 29.5 inches of manifold pressure and 2,450 rpm (according to POH performance charts the fuel flow is 36 gph total), and cruised at 27 inches and 2,300 rpm (24 gph total). The recorded flight time to Bullhead City from Van Nuys was 1.3 hours, as well as another 1.3 hours on the return flight.
Safety Board investigators found less than 1 gallon of fuel in the left auxiliary tank and less than 5 gallons in the right auxiliary tank. There was no evidence of residual fuel, fuel staining, or fuel odor at the site of the separated tip tanks (main fuel). The fuel that was recovered from the auxiliary tanks had the coloration and odor consistent with aviation fuel. There was no visible fuel contamination.