History of Flight
On October 21, 2010, at 1210 Pacific daylight time, a Cirrus SR-22, N427MC, impacted a horse stable in mountainous terrain 1.5 miles west of Agua Dulce Airport, Agua Dulce, California. The owner operated the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airframe was severely fragmented and consumed by post-impact fire. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Van Nuys, California, about 1156.
Radar data indicated the airplane departed Van Nuys Airport at 1156:45 initially to the south, then turned north, and climbed to 1,500 feet mean sea level (msl). Van Nuys tower requested a cloud base report; the pilot reported few clouds at 2,300 feet msl, with a layer above between 3,500 and 3,800 feet msl. The radar track showed the airplane leveling at 1,500 feet msl for 2 minutes, climbing briefly to about 3,300 feet, then descending to about 2,200 feet. The final radar return was at 1202:04 at 2,200 feet, 11.6 miles southwest of the accident site.
Witnesses reported hearing the airplane overhead near Agua Dulce Airport but could not see it due to low clouds, fog, and mist. One witness stated that seconds before impact the airplane flew over her upside down. Two witnesses working on a nearby rooftop observed the airplane flying very low, passing between two hills north of the accident site, then making a steep right-hand descending turn and impacting the ground "like a missile." They said the engine pitch increased slightly while behind the hill, then remained steady until impact.
The pilot's wife stated the purpose was to travel to Parker, Arizona. The pilot had called her before departure, indicating his intended route: Van Nuys, over Agua Dulce to Palmdale, over to Cajon Pass, then direct to Parker. The terrain between Van Nuys and Palmdale includes mountainous terrain with ridgelines between 4,000 and 5,000 feet msl.
The wreckage was contained in a compact area about 40 feet in diameter in a horse corral. Three horses were fatally injured, and corral structures exhibited soot and fire damage.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued June 2, 2004, and a third-class medical certificate issued October 21, 2010, with the limitation that he must have glasses available for near vision. Portions of the pilot's logbook were recovered; most was destroyed by fire. The logbook contained an endorsement for a flight review on June 28, 2008. On the medical application he reported 285 hours total, with 45 hours in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 0152, was manufactured in 2002. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-N 310-hp engine with a 3-bladed constant-speed Hartzell propeller. An annual inspection was completed May 2, 2010, at a recorded time of 827.4 hours. The actual time at the accident was not determined as the engine tachometer and Hobbs meter were not recovered.
Meteorological Information
A Citizen Weather Observers Program station at Agua Dulce, 1.4 miles east of the accident site at 2,592 feet, indicated light winds and relative humidities in the low 90% range. The nearest station with visibility and ceiling detection was Palmdale Regional Airport, about 15 miles northeast at 2,543 feet, which reported clear skies and excellent visibility. At 1153, wind was from 210 degrees at 15 knots.
Van Nuys Airport, about 19 miles south-southwest, reported mostly VFR conditions at 1151 with broken ceilings at 1,800 feet agl and an overcast base at 2,800 feet agl, visibility greater than 10 miles, and light winds.
A North American Mesoscale model sounding for the accident location at 1100 indicated near-saturated conditions between about 3,175 and 4,725 feet with relative humidity 97% or greater. Surface humidity was 90%. The Rawinsonde Observation Program indicated overcast clouds likely present in the near-saturated layer, with bases within about 500 feet of the surface. Winds were 7 knots from the southwest at the surface, rotating clockwise with height to about 20 knots from the northwest above 6,000 feet.
A camera image taken by a passenger after departure, estimated about 5 miles north of Van Nuys, showed a ceiling partially obscuring terrain tops.
A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter pilot operating in the area indicated conditions would have made it impossible to fly beneath the clouds; clouds obscured hilltops to the north, with conditions described as basically 0/0 (zero visibility and ceiling at surface).
Numerous AIRMETs for IFR conditions, mountain obscuration, and icing were active over southern California. An AIRMET for mountain obscuration was active for the accident location.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Los Angeles County Fire received a report of an airplane crash and fire at 1219. The wreckage was at an elevation of 2,690 feet in a residential horse stable, impacting level ground and corral fencing 15 feet from a wooden stable. Extreme post-impact fire consumed much of the airplane structure, leaving carbon fiber cloth and wing spar structure. The magnetic bearing from the engine back along the flight path was 110 degrees magnetic.
All control surfaces were present, and control continuity was confirmed through cable connections to bell cranks or overload failure signatures. The airframe parachute system was located within the wreckage; the rocket motor case was next to the engine with propellant expended, and the parachute was stowed with thermal damage. Neither the activation handle nor safety pin was identified.
The engine was embedded about 2 feet into the ground and was removed with a hoist. Fuel odor was evident, and dark oil-like fluid drained from the engine. Cylinders 1, 3, and 5 had impact damage; the forward engine case was fragmented. The oil pan was crushed into the case. The exhaust manifold showed plastic deformation. Both magnetos were missing from their pads. The propeller separated from the engine but was found in line with the crankshaft; three blade shanks were in the hub, with two blades present and the third fractured at the shank. Blades exhibited leading edge polishing and sinusoidal s-bending.
Post-accident examination found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot on October 26, 2010, by the Los Angeles County Coroner specified the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory reported tests for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed. Volatiles detected included 78 mg/dL ethanol in kidney, 27 mg/dL ethanol in lung, 18 mg/dL ethanol in muscle, and 0.044 ug/ml codeine detected in kidney, with codeine also detected in lung.