History of Flight
On November 15, 2023, about 2120 Pacific standard time, a Cessna P210N airplane, registration N1400, was substantially damaged during an accident near San Diego, California. The pilot, an airline transport pilot, was fatally injured. The flight, operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal trip, departed Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) in Concord, California, at about 1734, with an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan filed for an intended destination of French Valley Airport (F70) in Murrieta, California, at a cruise altitude of 9,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The filed alternate was Mc Clellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ) in Carlsbad, California.
ADS-B data indicated the airplane climbed to about 9,000 ft msl initially. Several altitude changes occurred, and around 2030, the aircraft arrived near F70. Due to poor weather at F70, the pilot planned to divert to CRQ, but an ILS outage there led to a decision to proceed to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) in San Diego to fly the ILS approach. Data showed a descent to below 3,000 ft msl around 2048, followed by a climb to about 5,000 ft msl.
The Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) cleared the pilot for the ILS Runway 28R approach to MYF and transferred communications to the common traffic advisory frequency. The controller noticed the airplane drifting off the localizer course and attempted to contact the pilot without response. As the airplane overflew MYF at 600 ft msl, the pilot reported being on the missed approach. The controller issued a low-altitude alert and asked for intentions. The pilot requested another approach and reported about 10 minutes of fuel remaining. Subsequently, the airplane performed erratic turns with altitude changes between 1,000 and 3,000 ft msl, and the pilot stated the need for an emergency landing. The controller instructed climbs and turns away from higher terrain. The pilot then reported being completely out of fuel. The controller attempted to vector toward another airport, but the airplane maneuvered northwest of MYF, after which communication and radar contact were lost.
A witness reported near-zero visibility, a ceiling of 200–300 ft agl, light rain, and little wind. Another pilot following on the approach stated he landed without issues after breaking out at about 1,100 ft msl.
The accident aircraft was not immediately located; an FAA Alert Notice was issued. A search found the airplane early the next morning on a hillside in a residential area about 3 miles northwest of MYF.
Personnel Information
A review of the pilot’s logbooks indicated that the most recent actual or simulated instrument flight experience occurred on April 20, 2022. In the six calendar months preceding the accident, the pilot logged one instrument approach, not logged as actual or simulated instrument time. (Under 14 CFR 61.57, six instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting/tracking courses are required within six months to act as pilot-in-command under IFR.) The pilot logged a total of 10 flights and 7.6 hours of flight experience during 2023.
Aircraft Information
The airplane’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) specified a total fuel capacity of 90 gallons, with 89 gallons usable. At CCR on the afternoon of the accident, a fixed-base operator added 49.8 gallons of fuel, and the refueler stated the tanks were topped off. The POH listed a cruise time of 4.2 hours at 80% power and 10,000 ft with usable fuel and recommended lean mixture, including allowances for start, taxi, climb, and 45-minute reserve at 45% power.
Meteorological Information
The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart depicted a cold front along the California coast with two high pressure centers, light rain, mist, and overcast clouds. A special weather observation at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (NZY) at 2136 reported 3 miles visibility in light rain and mist, with a broken ceiling at 300 ft agl. At MYF at 2053, visibility was 3 miles in light rain and mist, ceiling broken at 500 ft agl.
A numerical sounding model for the accident site at 2100 indicated a freezing level about 12,700 ft msl, nimbostratus clouds with bases near 400 ft agl and tops near 10,000 ft msl, surface wind from 110° at 4 kts, and maximum low-level wind near 2,000 ft agl at 165° at 21 kts. The model predicted several layers of light to moderate turbulence at altitudes flown during the final portion of the flight. No SIGMETs or convective SIGMETs were active; AIRMETs were active for IFR conditions, mountain obscuration, and occasional moderate turbulence below 16,000 ft msl. Night conditions prevailed with no illumination from the sun or moon, both more than 15° below the horizon.
No record existed of the pilot obtaining a formal weather briefing from the FAA Automated Flight Service Station or ForeFlight; the pilot had a ForeFlight account but did not create a flight for the trip.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The terrain was populated with trees and vegetation. The airplane came to rest a few feet from the initial point of impact on a magnetic heading of about 273°. All major structural components were within the main wreckage site. The accident site was a residential area near the top of a hillside with a slope of about 70°. The initial impact point was about 40 ft below the hilltop, at an elevation of about 370 ft msl.
Postaccident examination revealed the fuel tanks were intact and empty, consistent with fuel exhaustion. A navigation test set check of the airplane’s navigation and ILS found no anomalies. No preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions were identified that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The San Diego County Medical Examiner Department performed an autopsy, listing the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and the manner as accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for drugs of abuse and ethanol. Detected medications included rosuvastatin (Crestor), metformin, and diltiazem (Cardizem), all reported as acceptable or potentially acceptable for pilots under FAA guidelines.