History of Flight
On June 4, 2017, at approximately 1529 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration N4871L, collided with terrain in a residential neighborhood in Santa Rosa Valley, California. The commercial pilot and his 15-year-old son, who occupied the front left seat, sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane departed Camarillo Airport at 1513.
Air traffic control records indicated that the pilot contacted the ground controller at 1506 and requested a right crosswind departure from runway 26. About three minutes after takeoff, the controller issued a traffic advisory for an aircraft near the Saticoy Bridge. Radar data showed the airplane at 1,600 ft and heading northbound. The pilot acknowledged but did not contact the Point Mugu Radar Air Traffic Control Facility as instructed. No further communications were recorded.
Witnesses at a horse arena approximately 14 miles east of Camarillo observed the airplane. Two riding instructors reported seeing the airplane approach from the northwest, fly overhead, then conduct a 180° left turn. The airplane continued northwest, then began another left turn. They reported the engine sputtered and then went silent, but later resumed. The airplane descended to about 100 ft above the ground as it passed over the arena. After passing overhead, it initiated a steep right turn, disappeared behind trees, and then two loud thuds were heard. The wreckage was found in another horse arena about 600 ft south.
The pilot's daughter, also at the arena, stated she saw the airplane circle two or three times before the engine sound stopped and the airplane descended rapidly. She heard the engine restart as the airplane passed overhead and turned right.
A witness on the accident property described the left turn as aggressive with the engine operating. After overflying the arena, the airplane pulled up before reaching power lines and rolled aggressively to the right.
At 1532, the pilot of a Cessna 172 reported observing a small airplane crash while performing low-level maneuvers near Moorpark. The pilots of that aircraft stated they saw the airplane performing banking maneuvers, including what one described as "crazy eights," at low altitude.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land and sea, multiengine land, and instrument ratings. His most recent third-class medical certificate, issued January 28, 2016, required glasses for near vision. He reported no medical conditions or medications. No flight logbooks were recovered; at the time of his medical application he reported 1,989.9 total flight hours. A co-owner estimated the pilot had about 500 hours in the accident make and model.
The passenger, the pilot's 15-year-old son, did not hold a pilot certificate. Family members stated he often sat in the left seat when flying with his father.
Aircraft Information
The 1967 Piper PA-28-180 was equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4A engine last overhauled in 1992. The most recent annual inspection was completed on February 1, 2017, at which time the airframe had 5,939.9 total hours and the engine 1,796.4 hours since major overhaul. Dual cockpit controls were installed.
Meteorological Information
At 1555, Camarillo Airport reported wind from 250° at 5 knots, 10 miles visibility, temperature 70°F, dew point 61°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.86 inHg. Density altitude at the accident site was about 1,700 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest in a horse arena 175 ft long and 85 ft wide, oriented north-south, at an elevation of 590 ft. The area is a bowl-like depression surrounded by hills. Three sets of power transmission lines bordered the arena to the east, about 60, 85, and 180 ft from the edge, at heights of 65 to 75 ft above ground. The first point of impact was a power line, with a 4-ft transfer mark and a separated right wingtip section showing striations consistent with power line contact. The steel railings on the arena's eastern edge were crushed. Debris extended on a heading of 250° toward the main wreckage, which came to rest 120 ft southwest of the initial impact. The empennage was largely intact; the forward cabin folded back over the aft cabin. Both wings sustained leading edge crush damage. The fuselage and wings exhibited extensive crush. The left wing separated at the root. The fuel selector valve was in the left tank position; the valve passed air functionally. No fuel was found in the carburetor, and the fuel lines were clear but breached. The engine could be rotated by hand; no catastrophic internal failure was noted. Both magnetos operated when tested. The propeller showed one blade with polishing and another curved aft with abrasions.
Additional Information
Attempts to determine fuel servicing were inconclusive; the pilot may have purchased fuel with cash. The airplane's standard protocol required the last pilot to top off fuel. Performance data indicated stall speeds increased with bank angle: 67 mph at 0° bank, 76 mph at 40°, 83 mph at 50°, and 94 mph at 60°. Glide distance from 2,000 ft agl with propeller windmilling was about 3.75 miles; from 1,000 ft about 1.7 miles. The turn radius prior to impact was likely about 300 ft, requiring bank angles of 58° to 66° at typical airspeeds.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. No significant natural disease was identified. Toxicological testing identified alprazolam, its metabolite, gabapentin, and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (a marijuana metabolite) in urine and liver tissue; THC was detected in lung tissue. Ibuprofen was also found. Alprazolam and gabapentin are disqualifying for aeromedical certification and carry warnings of central nervous system depression and impairment. The pilot's medical records did not indicate prescriptions for these substances.