History of Flight
On June 1, 2015, at approximately 2058 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA22-135, registration N1348C, collided with terrain while maneuvering near Livermore Municipal Airport in Livermore, California. The airline transport pilot, who was also the owner, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight, departing Livermore at 2052. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported a control difficulty to air traffic control tower personnel, stating he intended to circle and troubleshoot the issue. No further transmissions were received from the pilot.
A witness located about half a mile from the airport reported that the airplane caught his attention when the engine “cut out.” He looked up but could not see the airplane due to dusk. He then heard the engine “revving to a higher rpm like a crop duster swooping down,” followed by two sputters and another increase in rpm. The witness eventually saw two outboard lights, one on each wing, and realized the airplane was in a nose dive. According to the witness, the airplane was not spinning, and the engine sounded like it was at full throttle.
Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane climbed on the runway heading to a maximum Mode C reported altitude of 3,100 ft mean sea level. About two minutes into the flight, the airplane made a 180° left turn, losing 1,100 ft of altitude in 18 seconds. The radar track continued in a straight line until it ended; the total flight duration was 2 minutes 48 seconds.
Personnel Information
The pilot’s logbook showed the last flight entry on February 6, 2015. Entries from the previous two years totaled over 49 hours, none of which were in the accident make and model.
Wreckage and Impact Information
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors examined the wreckage on site on June 2, 2015.
The first identified point of ground contact was a series of ground scars consistent with the left and right main landing gear, gear legs, engine, cowling, left and right wing lift struts, and wings. One propeller blade had separated about 6 inches from the hub along an angular plane. The rest of the propeller was found in the principal impact crater and was not charred. The main wreckage was burned and located in the middle of a charred area; all fabric covering was consumed by fire.
The debris path was approximately 108 ft long, oriented on a 318° magnetic heading. All major structural components were present at the site.
Further examination of an aileron cable by the NTSB Materials Laboratory determined that the cable distortion resulted from overload conditions. The postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Alameda County Coroner completed an autopsy on the pilot, determining the cause of death as blunt force trauma. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing on pilot specimens, which were negative for volatiles and tested drugs. Tests for carbon monoxide or cyanide were not performed.