History of Flight
On July 15, 2009, about 1620 Pacific daylight time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company (Hawker Beechcraft Company, HBC) G36, registration N618MW, struck a building and crashed into a parking lot near Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) in Hawthorne, California. The airplane was operated by Carpet Pros, Inc., under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airline transport pilot with a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate, the private pilot under instruction (PUI), and one passenger were killed; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal demonstration flight departed Hawthorne about 1550. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
During a personal local demonstrational flight, the CFI and the PUI had taken off, landed, and taxied back for another takeoff. During the second takeoff, the CFI reported to a controller in the air traffic control tower that the airplane had an open door, and successfully aborted the takeoff. The last takeoff was uneventful; while on final, the pilot advised the controller that they were going around, but gave no explanation.
Witnesses reported that, as the airplane was climbing upwind during the go-around, it made a left turn midfield towards the south followed by a hard right turn back towards the west. A witness observed the airplane trailing black smoke and the wings were rocking.
The airplane’s right wing tip struck on top of a rooftop adjacent to a parapet and a secondary impact occurred against a vertical wall approximately 45 feet high. The third impact mark was found within a parking lot 35 feet below west of the initial impact points.
Personnel Information
Pilot in Command (CFI)
The 38-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane multiengine land, and a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He held a CFI certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He held a first-class medical certificate issued on May 27, 2008, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. He reported a total time of 3,500 hours with 520 hours in the last 6 months on his medical application, and to the insurance company as of May 7, 2008, he had 2,830 hours total with 638 hours in the last 12 months.
Pilot Under Instruction (PUI)
The 40-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He held a second-class medical certificate issued on April 6, 2007, with the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. He reported a total time of 207 hours as of June 3, 2009. He had completed two other demonstration flights in the accident make and model airplane with representatives from HBC on April 30, 2009, and May 8, 2009.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Raytheon Aircraft Company G36, N618MW, serial number E-3643. It had a total airframe time of 387.7 hours at the last annual inspection on February 11, 2009. The Hobbs hour meter read 469.9 hours at the accident site. The engine was a Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) IO-550-B, serial number 687084, with total time 387.7 hours at last inspection. The airplane was originally equipped with a normally aspirated TCM 10-550-B engine, but at the time of the accident it had an aftermarket Tornado Alley Turbo, Inc. (TATI) “Whirlwind System II” turbo normalizing system covered by STC SA5223NM, installed on June 11, 2008. The airplane was last fueled on July 15, 2009, with 9.5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather station, KHHR (0.1 mile north of accident), reported visibility 10 statute miles, clear of clouds, wind 13 knots from 260° magnetic, temperature 23°C, dew point 15°C.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The initial impact point was on a rooftop within the Vought Aircraft Industries facility, adjacent to a parapet about two stories high. Red and black paint transfer marks from the right wingtip were found, and beige marks from the rooftop on the right wingtip. Secondary impact occurred against a vertical wall about 45 feet high, with red and black marks from the left wingtip and two propeller slash marks. A third impact mark was in an asphalt parking lot about 35 feet from the wall, a ground scar 10 inches deep by 24 inches wide. The airplane came to rest upright at N33°55.235' W118°20.299', about 50 feet from the scar, adjacent to a parked car, on an approximate heading of 030° magnetic. A strong fuel odor was present.
The outboard half of the right wing remained on the rooftop. The right elevator counterweight was recovered from an office inside the vertical structure. The right wing had leading edge compression buckling and was separated about 20 inches outboard of the fuel filler cap; the right fuel tank was breached. The left wing remained attached with leading edge compression buckling and a breached fuel tank. The nose section was compressed aft, windshield shattered, engine separated from mounts. The forward fuselage had cuts from first responders. The aft fuselage separated partially. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers remained attached; the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer were displaced upward and aft with blue paint transfer marks from the parapet. The turbocharger separated with impact damage; the turbine shaft rotated through, some compressor blades bent.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Los Angeles County Coroner performed autopsies on July 18, 2009. For the CFI, cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries; toxicology showed no carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, or tested drugs. For the PUI, cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries; toxicology similarly negative.
Tests and Research
Investigators examined the wreckage at Aircraft Recovery Service facility in Chino, California, on July 17, 2009. The airframe, engine, and turbo-normalizing system showed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded operation. Spark plug electrodes showed normal erosion; number 1 lower spark plug had carbon bridging the gap. Cylinders and pistons had sooty deposits. The turbocharger had impact damage but no foreign object damage signs; the impeller was free to turn slightly but not rotate completely due to housing damage.
HBC conducted a ground run on a production G36 with boost pump in OFF, LO, and HI positions. With boost pump HI and throttle retarded, the engine ceased at approximately 23" Hg MAP, accompanied by two puffs of black smoke. No smoke was noted during other conditions. No hesitation or stumbling when engine ceased.
TATI also conducted a ground run on a turbo-normalized A36 or G36 with the same STC installation, with results included in the docket.
Additional Information
According to the G36 Pilot Operating Handbook, the boost pump provides pressure for starting and emergency operation only. Use during normal operations can cause excessive fuel flow, overly rich mixture, and possible flooding. The normal position for landing or balked landing is “Off”. The fuel boost pump switch has positions for high, low, and off.
On July 28, 2009, the investigation team examined the auxiliary fuel pump at Dukes, Inc. The pump was disassembled; it was “OFF” at impact and exhibited normal operating signatures.