History of Flight
On February 6, 2018, about 0654 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182T airplane, N3525T, was substantially damaged when it struck an industrial storage facility near Santee, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot had filed a visual flight rules flight plan from Gillespie Field Airport (SEE), El Cajon, California, departing at 0645, with a destination of Elko Regional Airport, Elko, Nevada. The airplane departed runway 27R. Four witnesses in the surrounding area reported low-level fog, and one witness estimated visibility about 1 mile. A video recorded by a witness showed the airplane climbing into fog, and shortly thereafter, it reappeared exiting the fog in a descending left turn heading east toward the airport. The nose pitched up, but the airplane continued descending out of view below rooftops. The airplane impacted a glass industrial storage facility about 3/4 mile west of the airport.
According to the FAA chart supplement, the SEE control tower opened at 0700 and was not operating at the time of departure; however, an off-duty air traffic controller in the tower witnessed the accident and called 911.
One witness, a pilot performing a preflight check, reported hearing the accident airplane start up and watching it take off from runway 27R. He stated the airplane departed the runway surface before the intersecting runway, pitched to a higher-than-typical climb rate, and the engine sounded normal. He estimated the airplane entered the fog bank about 500 ft AGL and shortly afterward heard a drastic increase in engine rpm.
Another witness near the accident site reported hearing the engine suddenly turn off and seeing the airplane rock back and forth. Another witness stated the engine sputtered when the airplane was flying north. Witnesses reported that when the airplane turned east, back toward the airport, it had a nose-high attitude. A witness at the storage yard observed the airplane about 100 ft AGL descending in a nose-down, left-wing-low attitude to ground impact.
Personnel Information
According to the pilot's most recent airman medical certificate, dated April 29, 2016, the pilot reported a total of 50 flight hours, none in the previous 6 months. The pilot's logbook revealed 62.6 total hours of simulated instrument time, 6.4 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 1.6 hours within 90 days of the accident. The pilot had no actual instrument time.
Meteorological Information
The pilot received a preflight weather briefing at 0502, which included an AIRMET for the San Diego area current at the time of briefing. The AIRMET, issued at 0045, advised of ceilings below 1,000 ft MSL and visibilities below 3 statute miles with mist. The briefer indicated the area forecast for coastal Southern California expected tops around 1,500 ft.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a flatbed cargo trailer in a storage lot on a heading of 060° and traveled about 30 ft before coming to rest on a heading of 240° at an elevation of 348 ft MSL.
Postaccident examination established flight control continuity. The flap indicator and flap handle indicated 10°, but the flap actuator indicated the flaps were retracted. The fuel selector was in the "BOTH" position, and the fuel boost pump was in the "OFF" position. Fuel from the strainer bowl was clear, blue, and free of debris. The fuel flow divider was secure, undamaged, and unobstructed; the diaphragm was intact, and fuel injectors were clear. First responders noted puddles of fuel under the left wing, and fuel drained from the right wing during recovery.
The attitude indicator appeared undamaged except for the face plate; disassembly revealed no internal damage or signs of rotation or scoring. The heading on the horizontal situation indicator matched the wreckage path heading.
The lower portion of the firewall was pushed upward and aft. The engine showed no holes in the case; bottom damage occurred during the accident sequence, and the exhaust system and muffler were displaced. Top spark plugs had normal operating signatures. After removing the top vacuum pump, manual rotation of the crankshaft established mechanical continuity throughout rotating components, valve train, and accessory section. Both vacuum pumps had intact drive shafts that rotated without binding. Borescope examination of cylinders revealed no foreign debris and normal operating signatures. The exhaust system and muffler showed no obstructions. The right magneto was set to 25° before top dead center, secured and undamaged; the left magneto could not be timed due to a broken mounting flange. Both magnetos produced spark when manually rotated. The oil filter was free of debris.
All three propeller blades were separated from the hub; a portion of the fractured hub remained attached to the engine. Blades had leading-edge damage, including nicks, gouge marks, torsional twisting, and chordwise striations on cambered surfaces; two blades had missing tip portions.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The County of San Diego Medical Examiner's Department performed an autopsy and reported the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicology testing, which was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested-for drugs.
Additional Information
Two unrestrained dogs were on board at the time of the accident.