History of Flight
On December 10, 2009, at approximately 1430 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, registration N2463K, impacted terrain in a nearly vertical attitude following a loss of control while maneuvering near Ojai, California. The flight instructor and the student pilot were both killed. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Aviation Pacific, Inc. under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the local pre-solo instructional flight. The aircraft had departed Camarillo, California, 37 minutes before the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from Camarillo Airport at 1353. Shortly after, radio contact was established with Naval Air Station Point Mugu for flight following, with no further communications from the accident aircraft.
Radar contact was first established at 1358 at 1,800 feet mean sea level (msl) as the aircraft headed northwest from Camarillo Airport. Radar data indicated the aircraft maneuvered in the area of Lake Casitas to east of Ojai for 22 to 24 minutes. At approximately 1425, at 3,500 feet msl, the aircraft began a descent at about 660 feet per minute. It descended below radar coverage at 1427:30 at 2,000 feet. The first 911 call reporting the accident was received between 1429 and 1430.
A witness at Mira Monte Elementary School's playground (240 degrees, 2,000 feet from the site) stated the aircraft approached at very low altitude. She thought it was a sailplane because she heard no engine noise. She estimated the aircraft was about 1/2 mile from the school when she heard noises described as "trying to start the engine." She then heard the engine running as the aircraft made a right turn toward the northeast and rising terrain. After the turn, she could no longer hear engine sounds and lost sight of the aircraft shortly before impact.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor, aged 51, held a second-class FAA medical certificate issued May 20, 2008. He held commercial and flight instructor certificates with ratings in single-engine, multiengine, and instrument airplane. His total flight experience was estimated at 1,700 hours by the flight school. His logbook was not available.
The student pilot, aged 19, held a first-class FAA medical certificate issued November 2, 2009, and had accumulated about 15 hours of flight experience. The accident flight was in preparation for his first solo flight.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a single-engine, propeller-driven, two-seat Piper PA-38-112 with dual flight controls, manufactured in 1979. Maximum takeoff gross weight was 1,670 pounds; basic empty weight was 1,144 pounds. It was powered by a Lycoming O-235-L2C reciprocating engine rated at 118 horsepower at sea level.
Maintenance records showed the last annual inspection was on January 11, 2009, and the last 100-hour inspection on November 27, 2009. The airframe had 4,257 hours. The aircraft had two fuel tanks with total capacity of 32 gallons (30 usable). Fuel records indicated the aircraft was topped off at about 0938 on the accident morning. Ramp personnel stated the flight instructor flew 1 hour with a student that morning; the refueler estimated about 25 gallons remained when the instructor departed for the second flight.
Meteorological Information
At 1455, weather at Camarillo Airport (77 feet elevation, 18 nm from site) was: wind 220° at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, overcast ceiling at 6,500 feet, temperature 57°F, dew point 43°F, altimeter 30.01 inHg. Closer citizen-operated weather stations reported temperatures near 57°F with dew points ranging 34-38°F. A carburetor icing chart using 57°F and 37°F dew point placed the data in the "Serious Icing at Glide Power" zone.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft was found on an asphalt road (elevation 828 feet) on the grounds of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy, Ojai. Forty- to sixty-foot trees lined the road. The aircraft rested on its nose and leading edges of its wings; the nose was crushed aft and the engine displaced into the cabin. The empennage was bent in a scorpion-like manner. No ground scar was evident; the aircraft came to rest oriented north. All major components were accounted for.
The forward cockpit sustained extensive impact damage; the instrument panel was fragmented. Most flight and engine instruments and avionics were destroyed. The left wing leading edge showed aft and upward crushing along its entire span; aileron and flap remained attached. The right wing exhibited aft crushing along most of its span; aileron and flap remained attached. Both wing fuel tanks were compromised.
The empennage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and respective flight controls were minimally damaged. Propeller blades showed few striations and little mechanical damage; the spinner was crushed aft. The engine case had several cracks but remained intact. The carburetor was broken in half; its base remained connected to the engine.
No evidence of pre-impact mechanical discrepancies was found with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation. No fire occurred.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed on December 11, 2009, by the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner determined the cause of death for both occupants as multiple blunt trauma. FAA toxicology tests on the flight instructor showed no carbon monoxide, cyanide, drugs, or ethanol. The student pilot tested negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.
Tests and Research
Two Aviation Pacific flight school students interviewed by an FAA inspector stated they had flown with the accident instructor many times. Both said that during practice of emergency maneuvers (engine power loss in flight), the instructor never had them use carburetor heat because the rpm remained in the "green arc." The manufacturer's Pilot Operating Handbook for the accident aircraft states under emergency procedures, "Engine Power Loss in Flight," that carburetor heat shall be on.