2009 Upton Bakeng Duce In-Flight Breakup Near Ramona, California (N86YP)

Accident Overview and Flight History On May 9, 2009, at approximately 1435, an experimental, single-engine Upton Bakeng Duce, N86YP, experienced an in-flight breakup while maneuvering. The aircraft subsequently descended uncontrolled into an open field located about 6.4 miles east-southeast of Ramona, California. The flight originated from Ramona Airport at 1424 and was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Both occupants were killed in the accident, and the aircraft sustained substantial structural damage with extensive fragmentation. No fire occurred. The rear-seat occupant, a 60-year-old private pilot and FAA-certificated mechanic, had borrowed the aircraft from its owner. The front-seat occupant, a 50-year-old commercial pilot, held ratings for glider, single-engine land airplane, and instrument airplane. Both pilots held second-class medical certificates with corrective lens limitations. Autopsies determined that both pilots died from multiple blunt force injuries, and toxicology tests found no evidence of ethanol or drugs of abuse.