History of Flight
On April 17, 2016, about 1629 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172K, N7133G, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a landing attempt at Airport in the Sky (AVX), Santa Catalina Island/Avalon, California. The private pilot and his passenger received serious injuries. The personal flight was conducted under Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
AVX is situated on a leveled mountaintop. The approach to runway 22 rises steeply. Two witnesses at the airport observed the airplane on final approach appearing low and possibly slow. They waited for engine sound indicating a climb but heard none. The airplane then entered a steep right-wing-down bank and disappeared. They notified airport operations of a suspected crash.
The witnesses departed in another Cessna 172 (N365ES) for a visual search, initially unsuccessful. About 2 minutes later, they heard a radio call that the US Coast Guard detected an ELT signal 0.7 miles southeast of the airport. The pilot-witness returned to search north of the airport, located the wreckage, and guided ground personnel. They also established radio communications with the accident pilot using his handheld transceiver.
The accident pilot stated he was approaching runway 22, determined he was too low, attempted a climb and turn to avoid terrain. The airplane banked sharply right and struck terrain. It came to rest nearly inverted. The pilot exited; the passenger was trapped. No fire occurred. First responders extracted the passenger, and both were airlifted to a mainland hospital.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an instrument rating. He was one of five co-owners, having purchased his share about 2 months prior. He reported about 174 total flight hours, including 84 hours in the accident make/model. His most recent flight review was in November 2015, and his FAA third-class medical was issued April 2013.
Aircraft Information
The airplane (manufactured 1969) was equipped with a Lycoming O-320 engine. The most recent annual inspection was January 2016, with total time 4,952 hours. No unusual maintenance entries. An ELT was installed in November 2014.
Meteorological Information
The 1551 AVX automated weather: winds 260° at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 0°C, altimeter 30.02 inHg. The 1651 observation similar with winds 250° at 14 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was in a ravine approximately 400 feet north-northwest of and 150 feet below runway 22 threshold. The airplane slid/tumbled downhill. It came to rest inverted against small trees. The right wing was separated; fuselage was torn and deformed. No pre-impact mechanical failures were found. Damage signatures indicated a right-wing-down, nose-first impact. The fuel selector was on left tank, flaps at about 20°, elevator trim neutral—settings consistent with a normal final approach. Propeller damage consistent with engine power at impact. An Appareo Stratus 2S GPS was recovered and data downloaded.
Additional Information
The pilot had never flown into AVX. He researched the airport, learning the runway was "bowed" and had optical illusions. He was unaware of the PVASI approach slope indicator.
The ELT detection timeline: First signal at 1629, second at 1649 enabled a position solution 4,300 feet southeast of AVX (off by 5,300 feet). After third detection at 1723, revised position was north of AVX, about 1,100 feet from actual site.
GPS data showed the airplane joined runway 22 final approach about 70 seconds before impact, at 2,000 feet altitude, well below the nominal PVASI path. Groundspeed decreased from 115 mph to 40 mph, then increased to 63 mph during the go-around attempt. The airplane was approximately 150 feet below the desired approach path for the final mile.