Accident Details
On April 8, 2012, at 0655 Pacific daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA-300, registration N45R, collided with terrain 2.5 miles east of the Salinas Municipal Airport in Salinas, California. The aircraft was operated by the owner under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Salinas Airport about 0645.
Witnesses reported being awoken by a low-flying airplane. Two witnesses described the airplane flying between 1,000 and 2,000 feet above ground level performing aerobatics. One witness observed the airplane perform two chandelles, then two aileron rolls, and was halfway into a third roll when the nose pitched down, then pitched up and rolled so that one wing pointed down, then simultaneously rolled inverted and pitched down, entering a rapid descent into the ground. Both witnesses stated the engine sounded like it was at full power throughout the event.
Radar data from the Northern California TRACON Facility showed radar targets consistent with the accident airplane's departure time, altitudes, and location. The initial target appeared at 0648 at 3,000 feet mean sea level. The target performed a figure-eight pattern between 0648 and 0655, operating between 4,000 and 1,500 feet msl. Ground speed varied from 28 to 172 knots. The final radar return was at 0655:51 at 1,300 feet msl and 137 knots.
Flight History
According to the pilot's father, the pilot departed Yuma on Saturday morning, April 7, flew to Burbank, California, picked up a friend, then flew to Fresno, California. He dropped off the friend in Fresno and flew to Monterey Airport, arriving about 1030. He visited his father in Monterey and told a friend he would be in Salinas on Sunday. He then flew to Salinas Municipal Airport and spent the evening with his mother. On Sunday morning, the pilot met his passenger and departed on the accident flight.
Aircraft Information
The Extra EA-300, serial number 045, was a mid-wing, fixed landing gear, two-seat tandem configuration airplane manufactured in 1993. It was powered by a Lycoming AEIO-540-L185 235-horsepower engine and equipped with a three-bladed constant-speed MTV-9-B-C/C200-15 propeller. An annual inspection was performed on March 2, 2012, at a total aircraft time of 1,280.9 hours. The pilot shared ownership with another pilot. The surviving owner stated they used a Garmin GPSmap 396 for navigation, normally mounted on the glare shield with Velcro. He was not aware of the portable XM radio antenna found with the wreckage.
Pilot and Passenger Information
The 32-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane, issued December 19, 2007. He held a first-class medical certificate dated March 28, 2012. His logbook showed a total flight time of 463.5 hours as of June 12, 2009. He was a designated Naval Aviator on active duty with the United States Marine Corps, flying AV-8B Harriers. He had accumulated 373.6 hours of military flight time, with 2.6 hours in the AV-8B and 1.3 hours of simulator time in the previous 90 days. His most recent military check flight was on December 27, 2011.
The 24-year-old passenger held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land and instrument airplane. He held a first-class medical certificate dated October 8, 2007. His logbook showed a total flight time of 196.5 hours as of March 29, 2012. The majority of his experience was in Cessna 152s, 172s, and Piper PA-28s.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was located behind a ranch house in a flat, grass-covered horse pasture. Both occupants were in the cockpit area wearing parachutes. The airplane nose section had impacted a cattle fence rail. The left cylinder bank of the engine and propeller hub were embedded 18 inches into the ground at approximately a 30-degree nose-down angle. The wing spar was oriented on a bearing of 172 degrees magnetic. The main fuselage had collapsed into the ground midspan and was positioned on its left side. Both upper and lower wing skins had detached from the spar but were present.
The tail section remained attached to the fuselage tubing. The rudder was attached to the vertical stabilizer, which had crush damage. The elevator was attached to the horizontal stabilizer; the left horizontal stabilizer skin had detached and the spar was fractured at the root. The right horizontal stabilizer had a softball-sized crush indentation at midspan. Inside the tail section, near the elevator bell crank, a Garmin GXM30 antenna with attached cable was found loose. The antenna exhibited abrasions, cuts, and twist deformation; its micro USB connection was undamaged. A 9mm semicircular indentation on the antenna matched a bolt in the tail structure. The portable Garmin GPSmap 396 was not found.
The cockpit was completely fragmented. Engine control configuration could not be established. Control push-pull tubes were traced from control surfaces to the cockpit through multiple overload fractures. Rudder cables were attached but cut by first responders.
The Lycoming AEIO-540 engine was intact. The left cylinder bank showed impact damage. Throttle and mixture linkages were attached, but cables were severed. The oil sump was displaced with a 2-inch hole. The propeller hub remained attached.
Medical Findings
Autopsies on the pilot and passenger were performed by the Monterey County Forensic Pathologist. Both cause of death determinations were multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing for the pilot was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and selected drugs. For the passenger, tests were negative for ethanol and selected drugs; tests for carbon monoxide and cyanide were not performed.
Maintenance Information
The most recent maintenance was performed by Harvey & Rihn Aviation in La Porte, Texas, on March 2, 2012. The company overhauled the engine and rigged the controls. A company representative flew the airplane three times, performing tumbles, spins, and accelerated spins, and thought the airplane flew well. She also flew with the accident pilot three times, practicing landings, Immelmans, and split-s maneuvers. She did not recall the airplane having a Garmin GPS or XM radio antenna installed.