History of Flight
On October 29, 2014, at 1711 Pacific daylight time, a Hawker Hunter Mk 58, registration N332AX, crashed while on approach to Naval Air Station (NAS) Point Mugu, California. The airline transport pilot was killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and post-impact fire. The aircraft was registered to Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) and operated under contract to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in accordance with 49 USC Sections 40102 and 40125. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated under a visual flight rules flight plan.
The flight supported adversary and electronic warfare training with Carrier Strike Group 15. It departed NAS Point Mugu at 1500 as the wingman in a flight of two Hunters, with call signs ATAC 11 (lead) and ATAC 12 (accident aircraft). The accident occurred during an overhead break arrival to land on runway 21. The procedure called for ATAC 12 to make a left break 4 seconds after the lead, follow in a descending 270-degree turn to downwind, then a continuous descending 180-degree turn to final approach at or above 150 knots.
Witnesses observed ATAC 12 appearing lower and slower than the lead. It was seen in a left-wing-low bank, followed by wing rocking, then a quick roll to the right, after which the airplane nosed down and impacted the ground. A fixed-location video recording confirmed these observations.
Personnel Information
The 45-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and commercial privileges for single-engine land and instrument. He had 3,727.1 total flight hours, with 15.1 hours in the accident make and model. He was a recent U.S. Air Force retiree after 21 years, most recently flying F-16s. Hired by ATAC on September 22, 2014, he completed initial training on October 7, 2014, then reported to Point Mugu for operational training. The accident flight was his fifth with ATAC; he had flown one prior overhead break approach. He held an FAA first-class medical certificate with a corrective lenses limitation.
Aircraft Information
The Hawker Hunter Mk 58 is a single-seat, single-engine turbojet fighter, originally manufactured by Hawker-Siddley Corporation. It has tricycle retractable landing gear and a hydraulically-boosted flight control system. Powered by an Avon 203/7 engine rated at 10,150 lbs thrust. Maintenance was per an approved inspection program; the last inspection was on September 5, 2014, at 3,690.9 total aircraft hours.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was in a strawberry field east of Highway 1, north of the final approach path to runway 21. The first identified point of contact was a ground scar with right-wing components. The debris path extended about 325 feet on a magnetic heading of 290 degrees, located 0.7 NM from the runway threshold on a heading of 035 degrees. The engine, still in the fuselage, exhibited signatures consistent with high power at impact. Flight control components showed no abnormalities.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on October 31, 2014, determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, or tested drugs.
Tests and Research
The aircraft was equipped with a Garmin G3X panel display recording 57 parameters at 1-second intervals. Recovered data included the accident flight and previous flights. NAVAIR's Aeromechanics Safety Investigation Support Team (ASIST) analyzed the data and concluded that the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall near the end of its turn from downwind to final approach. The NTSB reviewed the ASIST report and found no need for re-evaluation; it independently analyzed data from the accident flight and two other flights.
Recorded data showed that during the approach, engine exhaust gas temperature remained at a low level, possibly flight idle, then increased near takeoff values concurrent with the stall. The 180-degree turn should have been flown between 160 and 180 knots; recorded speed slowed through 160 knots shortly after the turn began. When the airplane reached the extended runway centerline, speed was 126 knots, well below the target minimum of 160 knots. In both the 270- and 180-degree turns, the pilot lost significantly more speed than the lead aircraft. Separation distances between the two aircraft met applicable criteria and did not justify the speed decreases.
After the stall, the airplane rolled from 45 degrees left-wing-low to 71 degrees right-wing-low in about 7 seconds, descending to 92 feet, where data ended. The ejection seat was found activated upon impact; NAVAIR simulations indicated a successful ejection could have been accomplished as late as 2 seconds before data ended.