History of Flight
On May 18, 2013, about 1838 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 170B airplane, N2865C, impacted terrain while on final approach to runway 25 at Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN), Auburn, California. The flight originated from Crazy Creek Gliderport near Middletown, California, at about 1754, with an intended destination of AUN. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. A friend of the pilot, who departed before the accident airplane, reported radio contact with the pilot over Lincoln, California, and later sighted the airplane on downwind while on the ground at Auburn. No witnesses to the accident sequence were reported. After the pilot failed to arrive, a friend notified authorities, and the wreckage was located by aerial units on the morning of May 19.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 59, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and glider ratings. A third-class medical certificate was issued on March 26, 2012, with the limitation "must have glasses for near vision." The pilot's logbook showed a total of 476.2 flight hours in single-engine land airplanes, with 432.1 hours in the accident make and model. The most recent flight review was completed on January 22, 2013. Glider experience totaled 93.7 hours.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear tailwheel Cessna 170B, serial number 26408, was manufactured in 1954. It was powered by a Continental Motors O-300-A engine, rated at 145 horsepower, driving a McCauley fixed-pitch propeller. The aircraft was equipped with wing flaps adjustable to 0, 20, 30, or 40 degrees. The Cessna 170B operator's manual cautioned against slips with full flaps due to possible downward pitch. The most recent annual inspection was completed on December 21, 2012, at an airframe total time of 3,688.5 hours.
Meteorological Information
The automated weather observation at AUN at 1835 reported wind from 300 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 24°C, dew point 5°C, and altimeter setting 30.07 inches of mercury. Density altitude was calculated at 2,830 feet, with a headwind component of about 3 knots. Official sunset was at 2013, with civil twilight ending at 2043.
Airport Information
Auburn Municipal Airport is a non-towered airport in Class E airspace, with a single asphalt runway (07/25) 3,700 feet long and 75 feet wide, at an elevation of 1,539 feet. Runway 25 has a 1.5 percent downhill gradient. The precision approach path indicator (PAPI) was out of service with an active NOTAM. Rising terrain lies northeast and southeast of the runway approach path.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted wooded terrain about 1,257 feet east of the runway 25 threshold, coming to rest inverted on a magnetic heading of 040 degrees. All major components were within 30 feet of the main wreckage. The right wing was lodged in a tree, and the left wing was partially attached under the fuselage. The fuselage was compressed downward, and the engine crushed aft. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed through overload separations or cuts. The flap handle was displaced but appeared in the fully extended position; damage to flap tracks indicated full extension. No evidence of bird strike or preexisting mechanical anomalies was found. The propeller blades showed chordwise scratches and aft bending.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted on May 20, 2013, determined the pilot's cause of death as blunt force trauma. Toxicological tests performed by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute were positive for acetaminophen (68 ug/ml) in urine, a common over-the-counter analgesic.
Tests and Research
A Garmin GPSMap 296 handheld GPS recovered from the wreckage provided data for the accident flight. The last three recorded GPS points showed headings of 295, 281, and 267 degrees, groundspeeds of 65, 63, and 64 knots, and altitudes of 1,948, 1,867, and 1,744 feet msl, respectively. A performance study indicated the aircraft was above a 3-degree glide slope, with an increasing descent rate during a 180-degree turn from downwind to final, reaching over -800 feet per minute.