History of Flight
On December 26, 2013, about 1820 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 172K, registration N251JM, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Fresno Chandler Executive Airport (FCH), Fresno, California. The airplane was operated by a private pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and his passenger sustained fatal injuries. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The cross-country flight departed Tehachapi, California at 1643, with an intended destination of FCH.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) records indicate the pilot was receiving VFR flight following. When about 10 miles south of the airport, the pilot reported the airport in sight, and ATC canceled flight following at 1802.
Multiple witnesses observed the airplane enter the traffic pattern for runway 30. One witness reported the airplane landed hard about midway down the runway and then took off. Others observed the airplane maneuvering for runway 12 at high speed and low altitude. Witnesses later saw the airplane approach runway 30; two witnesses noted the left wing navigation light appeared inoperative. As the airplane reached about 400 feet above ground level near the departure end, it rolled left and descended vertically below their line of sight behind hangars.
Airport security camera recordings from three cameras captured the airplane's lights maneuvering over the runway. The recordings show the airplane making multiple approaches and go-arounds. At 1819:23, two bright flashes were observed. The airplane was last seen climbing before exiting camera view at 1820:02.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 72, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. A third-class medical was issued May 15, 2013, with a limitation for near-vision glasses. He reported 1,500 total flight hours; his logbook, fire-damaged, showed 1,459.34 hours as of February 1, 2013, including 25.3 night hours. His most recent flight review was completed January 22, 2013.
A witness from the pilot's home airport recounted an incident about three weeks prior: after sunset, the pilot landed on runway 11 at Tehachapi Airport but then could not find the taxiway exit. The witness used vehicle headlights to illuminate the taxiway, and the pilot taxied off the runway.
Aircraft Information
The 1970 Cessna 172K (serial number 17259188) was a four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine (150 horsepower) with a fixed-pitch propeller. The last annual inspection was January 11, 2013, at a tachometer time of 1,050.4 hours and airframe total time of 3,706.1 hours; engine time since major overhaul was 876.2 hours.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather at Fresno Yosemite International Airport (6 miles northeast) at 1953: wind 320° at 3 knots, visibility 5 miles in haze, clear sky, temperature 10°C, dew point 3°C, altimeter 30.24 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted terrain about 490 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 30, coming to rest upright on a heading of about 328° magnetic. Major components lay within 50 feet; a left fiberglass wingtip was separated. Two trees southwest had broken branches; other nearby trees, yard lights, and a fence were undamaged. A telephone/cable TV cable over the site was damaged.
About 1,406 feet southeast of the approach end of runway 30, paint chips, landing light cover fragments, and a left wingtip section were found. A nearby tree had broken branches 40-45 feet above ground.
Both wings were fire-damaged, with leading edges buckled aft. The fuselage forward of the horizontal stabilizer was mostly consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was established. The engine showed no evidence of catastrophic mechanical malfunction; rotational continuity and compression were confirmed. The left magneto produced spark; the right magneto was fire-damaged and produced no spark. Propeller blades exhibited bending and torsional signatures consistent with impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple injuries due to blunt impact. The heart showed mild to moderate coronary artery disease (up to 40% narrowing in some arteries). Toxicological testing detected bupropion in muscle and liver. The pilot's medical records indicated a history of high cholesterol, gout, high blood pressure, and major depression (in remission). Medications included simvastatin, allopurinol, lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, and bupropion. An optometrist exam on November 14, 2013, noted bilateral cataracts, vitreous floaters, and a right vitreous opacity; corrected distance visual acuity was 20/20.