History of Flight
On January 28, 2019, about 2100 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-151 airplane, N37RV, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Oceanside, California. The pilot received serious injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The flight was departing Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield (OKB), Oceanside, California, and was destined for Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), Hawthorne, California. The pilot did not recall any part of the flight, who was at the controls, or the accident. According to the pilot, the co-owner of the airplane later told him that visibility was good at departure and that he saw the pilot enter the airplane first, placing him in the left seat.
Two witnesses who arrived at OKB about 1940 noted condensation on their airplane during preflight and fog coming from the west. One witness stated that the weather forecast they had checked indicated “generally decent visibility” and ceilings of about 3,000 to 4,000 ft; however, the automated surface observing system at 1947 reported 1 3/4 statute mile visibility with ceilings of a few thousand feet. They observed another airplane depart to the west and become submerged in fog about 1/2 mile from the airport, which they estimated to be about 400-500 ft above ground level. They decided not to fly and remained at the airport until about 2005, noting that fog continued to develop. As they drove eastbound from OKB, they saw patches of fog for several miles.
Airport video surveillance showed the accident airplane arrived at OKB about 1833, was refueled and tied down, and the pilot and passenger left with the co-owner. Fog appeared about 2000, and the pilot and passenger returned about 2035. The airplane departed OKB about 2100.
A witness near OKB saw the airplane take off, turn left, and enter fog; he then heard a loud noise that sounded like a crash and called 911.
Oceanside Police Department officers responded the night of the accident but could not find the wreckage due to inclement weather. The next morning, after a call reporting the wreckage on a hillside, officers located it.
Meteorological Information
National Weather Service data showed a surface trough along the California coast near the accident site. Station models depicted air temperatures in the upper 40s to mid-50s °F, dew point temperatures in the upper 40s °F, calm winds, mostly clear skies, and overcast skies reported northeast of the site.
The closest official weather reporting facility was OKB. A special weather report at 2003 indicated calm wind, 3/4 sm visibility, mist, vertical visibility 300 ft agl, temperature 50°F, dewpoint 50°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of Mercury. Visibility varied between 1/4 mile and 4 miles. At 2052, OKB reported wind from 040° at 3 kts, visibility 1/4 sm in fog, vertical visibility 200 ft agl, temperature 53.6°F, dewpoint 53.6°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of Mercury.
The next closest station, Camp Pendleton MCAS Airport (NFG), reported at 1955: calm wind, 2 miles visibility in mist, broken ceiling at 700 ft agl, temperature 48.2°F, dewpoint 48.2°F, altimeter 29.98 inches of Mercury. At 2055: calm wind, 2 miles visibility in mist, broken ceiling at 600 ft agl, temperature 48.2°F, dewpoint 48.2°F, altimeter 29.98 inches of Mercury.
An HRRR model sounding for the accident site reported a subsidence inversion at 2,235 ft msl. An inversion near the surface with close temperature and dewpoint, light winds, and no other large-scale weather factors creates an environment favorable for fog or low stratiform clouds. GOES-17 satellite data indicated abundant cloud cover over the accident site at the accident time, moving from west to east. Approximate cloud-top heights were 23,000 ft at 2051 based on brightness temperatures and the HRRR sounding.
There were no pilot reports within 100 miles of the site 2 hours before and after the accident. There were no SIGMETs, center weather advisories, or meteorological impact statements valid at the time. An AIRMET Tango advisory warned of moderate turbulence below 10,000 ft with conditions ending between 1900 and 2200.
Review of weather vendors revealed no evidence that the pilot requested a preflight weather briefing. It is unknown if the pilot checked or received additional weather information before or during the flight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest about 1/4 mile southwest of the airport on a magnetic heading of 110° just below the ridgeline of a 210-ft hill adjacent to a highway. The fuselage exhibited crush damage and deformation. Flight control continuity was established on scene; control cables from the cabin to the empennage were manually moved with corresponding movement observed from the cabin to the tail and from the cabin to the right wing. The left wing was separated from the fuselage, and flight control cables were exposed. The landing gear separated and was found near the wreckage. The two-bladed propeller separated from the crankshaft and was found with the wreckage.
The engine remained attached to the airframe by the mount. The bottom forward portion of the engine had impact damage, but there was no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction. The top spark plugs and vacuum pump were removed, and the crankshaft was manually rotated; it rotated freely in both directions, and thumb compression was obtained in proper firing order on all cylinders. Valve train and mechanical continuity were established. The magnetos remained secure at their mounting pads, and the ignition harness P-leads were secured. The right magneto produced spark on all four leads when rotated. The left magneto was not tested due to impact damage. No evidence of loss of lubrication or contamination. The intake valve tappets displayed spalling signatures with corresponding wear on intake valve camshaft lobes.
The propeller blades exhibited leading-edge gouging, torsional twisting, and chordwise striations. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.