Accident
On March 4, 2012, at 0852 Pacific standard time, a Bowers Fly Baby 1-A, registration N41017, veered off runway 18 and collided with a hangar at Fallbrook Community Airpark in Fallbrook, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed.
Damage and Injuries
The private pilot sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital via life flight. The injuries were reported as non-life-threatening. The airplane was substantially damaged. The wreckage was found entangled with the structure of a T-hangar: the nose embedded into the hangar, the tail protruding outward, the left wing separated from the fuselage, and the right wing folded upward and over the open cockpit.
Investigation
No witnesses observed the accident. On March 5, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane. Control continuity was established, and no mechanical anomalies were discovered. The inspector noted the absence of witness marks in the shallow, sloped grassy terrain between the runway edge and the hangar. About 600 feet from the end of runway 18, a broken elevated runway edge light was found. Impact damage consistent with such a light was observed on the left wing of the airplane.
Pilot Interview
The FAA inspector interviewed the pilot, who reported being unable to recall the events surrounding the accident. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft/Incident Report Form 6120.1/2.
Witness Statement
A witness who arrived at the scene approximately one hour after the accident reported a modest northerly wind of 8 knots at that time.