Amateur-built Glasair TD accident near Arvin, California, March 24, 2007
On March 24, 2007 at about 10:05 pm local time, a amateur-built Glasair TD, registered N229DH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arvin, California (Off Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power resulting from fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to refuel the aircraft en route. A contributing factor to this accident was rough/uneven terrain at the forced landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2007 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Arvin, California · Off Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glasair TD
- Registration
- N229DH · no longer on the register · serial 229
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was approximately 30 miles away from his destination airport on a cross country flight when the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot selected what appeared to him to be a dirt runway as a forced landing site. As he descended, he realized that the "runway" was actually a raised dirt road. Due to low altitude and airspeed, the pilot continued his approach. The airplane touched down on the road, but upon roll out veered off the left side and down a small embankment. The airplane rolled into a field and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. During interviews and in a written report, the pilot stated his opinion that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, which he attributed to a propeller change. The pilot noted that with the new propeller, the engine ran at higher revolutions per minute (RPM), which in turn resulted in "higher [fuel] burn." The pilot reported that he didn't account for the higher fuel flow when he calculated his airplane's fuel consumption. During examination of the accident site, a Sheriff's Department deputy reported that he "did not see or smell any fuel leakage in or around the aircraft." The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P14 Holbrook AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MIT Shafter CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.