History of Flight
On January 18, 2023, at 1307 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 414 airplane, registration N4765G, was destroyed in an accident near Modesto, California. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The airplane departed runway 10L at Modesto City-County Airport-Harry Sham Field (MOD) at 1259, destined for Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) in Concord, California. ADS-B data showed the airplane climbed to 3,200 ft PA while turning right to the northwest, reaching about 150 kts. At 1301, the Modesto tower controller instructed the pilot to switch frequencies to Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control. The pilot acknowledged but subsequent transmissions remained on the MOD frequency. The pilot made several attempts to change frequencies without success. The controller asked if the pilot wanted to return to MOD, and the pilot agreed. He was instructed to make a left 180° turn and enter a left downwind for runway 28R.
Flight track data indicated that at about 1302, the airplane turned left back to the southeast, paralleling the runway about 3 miles west of MOD, then descended and flew a non-standard traffic pattern. At 1304, the pilot asked if the controller could hear him; the controller confirmed. At 1305, the airplane had descended to about 1,500 ft PA at 96 kts groundspeed, abeam the runway 28R threshold. The controller asked if the pilot had the runway in sight; the pilot affirmed and was cleared to land. The pilot was informed that runway 28R was the long runway and read back the clearance.
During the left base turn, the airplane angled left toward a point about 1,000 ft beyond the threshold, maintaining about 90 kts and descending to 200 ft PA at 0.5 miles. It then entered a right turn to about 090° heading before starting a left turn northward. During the left turn, groundspeed decreased from 72 to 53 kts, and altitude dropped to 100 ft PA at the last ADS-B return at 1306:56 near the accident site.
Witnesses, including a helicopter crew and a nearby observer, reported unusual maneuvers such as S-turns and a stall followed by a spin. Dash camera video captured the final seconds: the airplane's bank angle increased, nose dropped, and it entered a near-vertical left spin.
Aircraft Information
The airplane had undergone an annual inspection at MOD completed on January 4, 2023, and remained there until the pilot picked it up on the accident day. Fueling records showed it was refueled with 73.5 gallons of AvGas 100LL that day.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted soft terrain, resting about 80° nose down on a 240° heading. Both engines and propellers were fully buried, with aft portions at ground level. Both wings were impact-separated near the outboard edges of the flaps. The left flaps were extended; the right flaps were impact-damaged. Landing gear were down. The forward fuselage was crushed and embedded; the fuselage aft of the cockpit was intact until just forward of the empennage. The empennage was bent to the right. All flight control cables showed overload separations at aileron bell cranks, consistent with impact.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and left engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The right engine could not be fully examined due to impact damage. Its propeller blades were bent aft with leading edge polishing and chordwise scratches.
An Insight engine data monitor recovered data from the accident day. The data did not record identical performance for both engines; the No. 1 engine generally showed higher performance, especially at lower power settings. No anomalous data was observed for each engine individually.
Additional Information
The Airplane Flying Handbook describes standard traffic pattern procedures for downwind, base, and final approach legs.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine (a sedating antihistamine) in liver and muscle tissue, as well as loratadine and its metabolite. No blood was available for therapeutic concentration determination. Diphenhydramine carries a warning about potential impairment; FAA guidance recommends a 60-hour post-dose observation time before flying.