Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Casa Grande, Arizona, April 10, 1992
On April 10, 1992 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N115DM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Casa Grande, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SELECT THE PROPER FUEL TANK AND SUBSEQUENT FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS AN INADEQUATE DESIGN BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT PERMITTED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BE ROTATED 360 DEGREES, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1992 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Casa Grande, Arizona
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III GLASAIR II
- Registration
- N115DM · registry record · serial 3029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, INCLUDING ROTATION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE, FAILED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND A FORCED LANDING AREA WAS SELECTED ON A RURAL DIRT ROAD. AS THE PILOT WAS PREPARING TO LAND, A SCHOOL BUS OCCUPIED THE LANDING ZONE, AND THE PILOT THEN SELECTED AN ADJACENT ROAD. DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK TREES LOCATED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAA PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION, BUT PLACARDED AS THE MAIN TANK POSITION. THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN WING FUEL TANKS CONTAINED FUEL; HOWEVER A HEADER TANK WAS EMPTY. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT ON THE EVENING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED ON THE HEADER TANK, WHICH HAS A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 5 GALLONS. THE PILOT, WHO HAS ABOUT 10 HOURS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE, DID NOT REMEMBER WHAT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN REQUIRING A PLACARD DETAILING THE FUEL HANDLE POSITIONS, AND INSTALLATION OF MECHANICAL STOPS AND A MOVABLE GATE TO PRECLUDE INADVERTENT SELECTION OF THE OFF POSITION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 127 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1992; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P10 Chandler AZ at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N115DM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX92LA176.