Event LAX95LA218

Factual narrative

On June 20, 1995, at 1509 hours Pacific daylight time, an Ed Bergreen KIS experimental airplane, N62TW, crashed into a school yard at San Leandro, California, while executing an emergency landing due to a loss of power. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight to Santa Rosa, California. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California, about 1500 hours. The pilot told National Transportation Safety Board investigators in a telephone interview on June 20, 1995, that while en route to Santa Rosa, California, the engine began to sputter while flying at 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl). He advised the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bay Terminal Radar Approach Controller (TRACON) of his situation. The controller gave the pilot vector headings toward Oakland International Airport. The airplane flew over Hayward Airport, Hayward, California, while being vectored to Oakland International Airport. The engine quit while on final approach to runway 27 at Oakland International Airport. The pilot switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat to restart the engine, but without success. The pilot elected to land in an open area at John Muir Middle School, about 3 miles east of Oakland International Airport. The pilot said he did not land at the Hayward Airport because he thought the airplane altitude was sufficient to land at Oakland International Airport if the engine failed. The pilot indicated in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that the airplane contained 17 gallons of fuel before departing on the accident flight. Two inspectors from the FAA, Oakland Flight Standards District Office, responded to the accident site. An airworthiness inspector reported that the airplane and engine fuel systems were not compromised during the ground impact. He said that the left wing fuel tank contained only residual fuel and the right wing fuel tank was empty. He also said that he was unable to drain any fuel from the gascolator. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE CONTAINED 17 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE WING TANKS BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. HE ADVISED ATC THAT THE ENGINE WAS MISSING AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS TOWARD THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOT OVERFLEW THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO LAND AT ANOTHER AIRPORT, THINKING THAT THE AIRPLANE ALTITUDE WAS SUFFICIENT TO NEGOTIATE THE SELECTED AIRPORT IF THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE SELECTED AIRPORT AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND LANDED BEHIND A MIDDLE SCHOOL. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT NEITHER THE AIRFRAME NOR ENGINE FUEL SYSTEMS WERE COMPROMISED AND THAT THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK CONTAINED ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL AND THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO DRAIN ANY FUEL FROM THE GASCOLATOR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12