Incident Overview
A pilot and passenger departed on a cross-country flight. The flight reached its intended destination airport, but due to fog and low stratus clouds, the pilot diverted to another airport for lunch. On the return trip, air traffic control (ATC) observed an unidentified aircraft circle a coliseum in Class B airspace during a major football game. Two pilot witnesses at the game reported seeing the same make and model airplane over the coliseum at 500 to 700 feet above ground level near the time of the accident.
The aircraft then proceeded toward another major airport located in Class C airspace. The transponder was observed to quit operating about 5 miles from that airport, and the airplane was subsequently tracked as a primary target until radar contact was lost. The accident airplane crashed into a high school cafeteria approximately 2.25 miles northeast of Oakland International Airport.
Witness Observations
Two witness statements were obtained from persons at Castlemont School. One witness reported hearing the engine cutting on and off as they watched the aircraft collide with the building. The other witness heard no engine sound and also watched the collision.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that the passenger had gotten into the rear seat while in-flight to photograph the coliseum football game. The passenger was not wearing a seat belt, and neither occupant wore shoulder harnesses at the time of the accident. The last thing the pilot recalled was asking the passenger if she could read the scoreboard. When asked about the altitude, the pilot stated that the aircraft was at 5,500 feet mean sea level.
Technical Examination
Examination of the radios revealed that the transponder was off and both communication radios were tuned to Unicom frequencies. According to on-scene emergency service personnel, fuel was venting or running from the airplane in a steady stream. The local fire department foamed the accident area.