National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Data Summary: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator
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14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, December 29, 2012 in Lakeside, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/02/2014
Aircraft: MCKENZIE LANCAIR IV-P TURBINE, registration: N5M
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The noninstrument-rated private pilot departed on a cross-country flight in the amateur-built, experimental, turbine-powered airplane. The weather observations indicated two layers of clouds with multiple base layers from 3,600 feet above ground level (agl) and a broken ceiling about 6,000 feet agl. After departure, the pilot told an air traffic controller that he was looking for a hole to get above the clouds. The airplane was likely flying between the two cloud layers as the pilot attempted to find a hole in order to climb above the upper cloud layer. Six minutes after departure, witnesses on the ground observed the airplane descending in a “flat spin.” The recorded data from the airplane’s onboard electronic flight information system showed that the pilot had climbed to about 6,858-feet pressure altitude (about 5,800 feet agl) while letting the airplane’s airspeed decay from about 220 knots to about 76 knots, at which time the airplane entered a spin. The data showed that the airplane completed about seven 360-degree rotations in the spin before it impacted the ground. Further, the data indicated that the airplane’s engine was operating normally, and after the first 360-degree rotation, the propeller rpm dropped from about 1,800 to 1,000, consistent with the pilot feathering the propeller. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage consistent with the airplane impacting terrain in a flat spin, and the propeller blades were found in the feathered position. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical discrepancies were found with the airplane’s airframe, engine, or propeller that would have prevented normal operation.
The medications metoprolol and tamsulosin were detected at unquantified levels in the pilot’s muscle and liver. Neither of these medications was likely to have resulted in impairment. The pilot had reported use of tamsulosin to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in May 2011. The use of metoprolol was not reported to the FAA, and it is unknown when the pilot began taking this medication or for what reason he was taking it.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while attempting a visual climb through a broken cloud layer, which resulted in a stall/spin.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On December 29, 2012, about 1015 Pacific standard time, a McKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine, amateur-built experimental airplane, N5M, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in an uncontrolled descent near Lakeside, California. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which had originated from Montgomery Field Airport, San Diego, California, approximately 6 minutes before the accident, with an intended destination of Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. A flight plan had not been filed.
The pilot contacted the Montgomery Field air traffic control tower at 1005:26, and requested taxi for takeoff and an east-bound departure. He acknowledged receiving instructions to taxi to runway 28R. At 1008:56, the pilot was cleared for takeoff and instructed to make a right downwind (east) departure, which would keep the airplane clear of the class B airspace located 1.5 nautical miles (nm) north of Montgomery Field. However, after takeoff, the airplane did not turn to the east, rather it flew north towards the class B airspace. When the tower controller queried the pilot about his intentions stating that he was about to enter the class B airspace, the pilot replied that he was turning eastbound. The airplane continued north, entering class B airspace without a clearance, before it turned eastbound.
At 1012:08, the pilot checked in with his next controller. He stated that he was eastbound and "…trying to get above the clouds but… couldn't find a hole…." He then requested flight following to Deer Valley. The controller gave the pilot a discreet transponder squawk code of 5217, instructed him to fly a heading of 060 degrees for departure from the class B airspace, and cleared him to "climb VFR [visual flight rules]" at his discretion.
At 1014:53, the controller told the pilot to reset his transponder squawk code to 1321. The pilot did not respond. At 1015:22, the controller asked the pilot if he could hear his transmissions. At 1015:26, the pilot responded with "trouble…." The controller made repeated attempts to contact the pilot with negative results. Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the airplane below a cloud layer descending in a "flat spin" until they lost sight of it behind a hill. The witnesses heard a "loud thud" and reported the accident to local authorities.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The 65-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land and airplane single engine land ratings. He did not possess an instrument rating. His most recent third-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate was issued on May 5, 2011. He reported on his most recent medical application that he had about 1,600 hours of flight experience and had flown about 50 hours in the past 6 months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The airplane was a single-turbine-engine-powered, propeller-driven, four seat, pressurized, retractable-gear airplane, which had a special airworthiness certificate (in the experimental category) issued on March 13, 2003. The airplane was built by an individual from a kit manufactured by Lancair International, Inc. It was powered by a Walters M601-EX free turbine engine, serial number 874-039, which had a maximum takeoff rating of 740 horsepower and a continuous rating of 657 horsepower. It had a three bladed, constant speed, full feathering Hartzell propeller. According to the airplane's maintenance logbooks, the most recent condition inspection was completed on November 10, 2011. According to an entry in the airframe logbook dated June 1, 2003, the airplane's builder flight tested the airplane and determined that, at a gross weight of 3,300 pounds, the stall speed in the landing configuration (Vso) was 65 knots; the stall speed clean (Vs) was 80 knots; best angle of climb speed (Vx) was 120 knots; and best rate of climb speed (Vy) was 140 knots.
According to a weight and balance document from the airplane's maintenance records dated June 1, 2005, its maximum takeoff gross weight was 3,890 pounds; its empty weight was 2,492 pounds; and its center of gravity range was 86.5 to 94.5 inches. An estimate of the airplane's weight and balance at the time of the accident was calculated; the estimate indicated that the airplane's gross weight was 3,751 pounds, and its center of gravity was 92.4 inches.
The cockpit instrumentation included two Sierra Flight Systems Integrated Display Units (IDU), which are Electronic Flight Information Systems (EFIS). These systems provide multifunction display (MFD) and primary flight display (PFD) capabilities.
The pilot purchased the airplane on June 6, 2005.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 0953, the weather conditions at Montgomery Field Airport (elevation 427 feet), located 235 degrees for 10 nautical miles (nm) from the accident site, were as follows: wind 130 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles (sm); cloud condition, overcast at 5,500 feet; temperature 54 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 39 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter setting 30.08 inches of Mercury.
At 0955, the weather conditions at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station (elevation 477 feet), San Diego, located 250 degrees for 9 nm from the accident site, were as follows: wind 130 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 10 sm; cloud condition, broken at 3,500 feet and broken at 20,000 feet; temperature 55 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 39 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter setting 30.07 inches of Mercury.
At 1047, Gillespie Field Airport (elevation 388 feet), San Diego, 180 degrees for 5 nm from the accident site, were as follows: wind calm; visibility 15 sm; cloud condition, scattered at 3,600 feet and broken at 6,000 feet; temperature 54 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 37 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter setting 30.06 inches of Mercury. This observation indicated two layers of clouds with multiple base layers from 3,600 feet above ground level (agl) and a broken ceiling at 6,000 feet agl.
A National Transportation Safety Board Weather Study was performed. The meteorologist reported that satellite data indicated a band of clouds extended from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, over the accident area, to approximately 50 miles inland. The clouds tops over the accident site were from 7,000 to 5,000 feet agl. No cumulonimbus clouds or thunderstorms were indicated over the region at the time. For more information, see the Weather Study in the public docket for this accident.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane was found at an elevation of 1,060 feet on a chaparral covered steep hillside in the Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve in San Diego County. The initial impact was about 150 feet down from a ridge crest, and the ground scar was oriented on a magnetic heading of about 350 degrees. The ground scar extended about 80 feet to the main wreckage. The airplane was found upright and flat, with its fuselage aligned about 350 degrees. The empennage had broken from the fuselage and was resting inverted on the top of the cabin section of the fuselage. The wings were in place and extensively damaged. From the initial impact point to the fuselage, large pieces of the lower wing skins were found. There was no evidence of fire.
The propeller spinner was crushed inward on about 1/3 of its diameter. The spinner did not exhibit any indications of rotation. One propeller blade was separated about 12 inches from its hub. The other two blades remained attached but were bent in a bow-like fashion. All three propeller blades were found in their feathered positions. All the airplane's components were accounted for at the accident site. Following the on scene examination, the wreckage was recovered to a secure salvage yard.
On January 4, 2013, at the salvage yard, the wreckage was further examined by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator, two FAA inspectors, and a representative of the kit manufacturer. The NTSB investigator oversaw the removal of the airplane's PFD, MFD, Engine AirData computer, and a Garmin 530 GPS/Nav/Comm unit.
On January 29 and 30, 2013, at the salvage yard, under the supervision of an NTSB investigator, a representative of the propeller manufacturer examined the airplane's propeller. The propeller manufacturer's representative stated that "the crushing damage to the spinner dome showed evidence of contact with a blade counterweight and piston. The spinner damage clearly indicated that the blades and piston were in the feather position at the time the spinner was crushed by impact." During the postaccident examinations, no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies was found with the airplane's airframe, engine, or propeller that would have prevented normal operation.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The PFD, MFD, and Engine AirData computer were shipped to the NTSB's Vehicle Recorder Division in Washington, D.C. for recovery of stored flight data. Identical data was recovered from the PFD and the MFD; the Engine AirData computer does not record data. The accident flight was recorded on December 29, 2012, between 1004:42 and 1015:29. A full report, titled "Cockpit Displays – Recorded Flight Data," with plots of the recorded parameters is available in the public docket for this accident. The owner of the company that performed the most recent condition inspection reported that the parameter labeled N2 in the report was propeller rpm.
The recording indicated that the airplane departed about 1009:28. The airplane climbed out to the northwest, and about 3,100 feet pressure altitude, it began a turn towards the northeast. It initially climbed to a maximum recorded pressure altitude of 5,238 feet and then descended to 3,868 feet pressure altitude by 1013:35. The airplane then climbed to a maximum recorded pressure altitude of 6,858 feet at 1014:51. After reaching this maximum altitude, it descended to a last recorded pressure altitude of 1,428 feet at 1015:29.
After takeoff, the compressor turbine speed designated as N1 was about 95% and remained so until about 1012:24, when the airplane began to descend out of about 5,000 feet pressure altitude. By about 1012:38, N1 decreased to about 79%, the airplane was descending, and indicated airspeed was decreasing through 201 knots. From takeoff until about 1014:57, N2 was about 1,800 rpm. About 1013:40, N1 increased to 94%, as the airplane began to climb out of 3,968 feet pressure altitude, and the indicated airspeed decreased through 189 knots. During the time period from 1013:40 until 1014:41, the pitch attitude increased from 5 degrees to 26 degrees, the airspeed continued to decrease, the altitude increased, the bank angle was less than 5 degrees, and the airplane was heading northeasterly.
At 1014:35, the pitch attitude continued to increase to a maximum recorded value of 44.5 degrees; this pitch attitude was reached when the airspeed decreased to 76 knots. At 1014:46, the airplane began to roll left to a bank angle of 38 degrees, which then reduced to 8 degrees left before increasing to a maximum recorded value of 93 degrees left by 1014:53.
After 1014:52, the airplane began to descend, and the recorded heading cyclically rotated to the left, making nearly seven 360-degree turns before the recording ended at 1015:29. During the descent, the indicated airspeed reached a maximum value of about 95 knots, and the bank angle varied between about 20 degrees left and right.
After the first 360-degree heading change, at 1014:57, N1 and N2 began to decrease, with N1 reaching a minimum value of 64% at 1015:05 and N2 was reaching about 1,000 rpm at 1014:59. At 1015:18, as the airplane passed through about 3,200 feet pressure altitude, N1 began to increase. Over the next 4 seconds, N1 increased to 96% where it remained until the end of the recording. Over the last 30 seconds of recorded flight, N2 fluctuated between about 600 rpm and 1,200 rpm and did not increase when N2 began to increase at 1015:18
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The San Diego County Office of the Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot on December 30, 2012. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. Carbon monoxide and cyanide testing were not performed; no blood was available for testing. The muscle sample tested had 15 mg/dL of ethanol; however, the ethanol was from sources other than ingestion. No ethanol was detected in the heart or the brain. Muscle and liver samples were positive for metoprolol (a prescription beta-blocker used to treat high blood pressure, angina and control heart rate in some arrhythmias) and tamsulosin (a prescription medication used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia).
On his medical certificate application dated May 5, 2011, the pilot reported the use of tamsulosin for benign prostatic hyperplasia. No other medication use was reported.
http://www.flickr.com/photos
http://registry.faa.gov/N5M
NTSB Identification: WPR13FA076
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, December 29, 2012 in Lakeside, CA
Aircraft: MCKENZIE GREG LANCAIR IV-P TURBINE, registration: N5M
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On December 29, 2012, at about 1014 Pacific standard time, a McKenzie, Lancair IV-P turbine, N5M, was substantially damaged following impact with terrain near Lakeside, California. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which had originated from Montgomery Field, San Diego, California, approximately 9 minutes before the accident. A flight plan had not been filed.
The pilot was receiving flight following from an air traffic controller for his flight to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane coming out of the clouds rotating until it impacted the ground. There was no postimpact fire.
PHOENIX - A prominent valley family was killed over the weekend when their plane crashed in California on their way back to Phoenix. William A. Stern, the owner of Stern Produce, was killed along with his wife and their 19-year-old daughter.
William's son Billy sent out a statement Monday, saying Stern Produce lost a great leader. He says he'll honor his dad by continuing his vision and high level of customer service.
William Stern Jr., his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Katelyn were all together on their plane when it went down near San Diego. Friends say Stern flew his Lancair IV-P for more than 6 years, traveling to and from California. It's a home-built plane. The FAA considers it an experimental aircraft.
Outside the stern's home along Camelback Mountain, Katelyn's friends left flowers at the edge of the driveway.
"It's surreal, still we still kind of can't believe this is real," said Jessica Michael, grade school friend.
Friends called her Katey. She was 19-years-old and a student at SMU.
"Remembering her laugh and everything about her and she'll really be really missed."
William Stern Jr. is the owner of Stern Produce with warehouses in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson. The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.
Back in 2010, the FAA did send a notice out to pilots letting them know to take extra precautions because there have been a "disproportionate" number of fatal crashes on amateur built planes like the Lancair IV-P.
Statement by William A. Stern III
To our valued customers and colleagues,
On Saturday, Stern Produce Company lost a great leader. Our owner and president Bill Stern died in a tragic plane crash along with his wife and daughter. The accident happened just outside of San Diego as they were traveling back home to Phoenix.
While there are many questions left to answer regarding the accident itself, there are no questions regarding the future of our company.
With Bill's leadership and planning we will maintain our current high level of customer service, quality products and operations to our customers. We will continue to be a family owned and privately held company.
We lost a tremendous leader and friend and will honor Bill by continuing the vision, focus and traditions he established. While our hearts are heavy, we will continue in the direction set forth by Bill.
The Stern Family and all the team at Stern Produce thank our loyal customers and the entire community for their thoughts and prayers.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com
Officials say 19 year old Katelyn Stern, 53 year old Jennifer Stern, and 65 year old William Stern died when their plane crashed in the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve, north of Santee, CA. LAKESIDE — Three people killed in a plane crash near Lakeside on Saturday have been identified as a husband and wife from Arizona and their teen-aged daughter.
William Arthur Stern Jr., 65, his wife, Jennifer, 53, and their daughter, Katelyn, 19, all perished when the Lancair turbine airplane they were flying in on their way home crashed, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office said Sunday.
The family was returning to their home in Phoenix about 10:15 a.m. when the plane plunged into the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve for reasons that are not yet known.
William Stern was a partner in a prominent family produce company that has been in business in Arizona since 1917.
They had taken off from Montgomery Field minutes before the accident en route to Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix. The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Investigators at the scene of small aircraft with three people aboard has crashed in the Lakeside area north of Slaughter House Canyon Road within the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve west of state Route 67.
(Photo courtesy: J. Carroll / 10News)
Previous Accident:
NTSB Identification: LAX06LA166.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please contact Records Management Division
Accident occurred Monday, May 08, 2006 in San Diego, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/25/2007
Aircraft: McKenzie Lancair IV-P Turbine, registration: N5M
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The airplane veered off the runway after the left main gear collapsed on landing. The pilot was cleared to land on runway 28L. He lowered the landing gear in preparation for landing, and received an indication of three green lights confirming that the gear was down and locked. At this point, an electrical power failure occurred, and he initiated a go-around. He turned the emergency battery on, and this restored power to the radio and several critical systems. The gear lights indicated that only the nose and right main were now down and locked. He asked the tower controller to confirm the gear position. The tower said it appeared to be down, and cleared the pilot to land on runway 28R. Upon touchdown, the left main gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he should have tried to pump the gear in an attempt to get it in the locked position. No determination was made regarding the reason for the collapse of the left main landing gear.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The collapse of the left main gear for undetermined reasons. A factor was the pilot's inadequate remedial action in response to the left main gear not locked warning light by not attempting to manually extend the gear to ensure it was fully down and locked.
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LAKESIDE — A pilot from Phoenix, his wife and daughter died in the crash of their small, home-built aircraft Saturday in the Lakeside area within the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve.
The names of the three, one male and two females, were not released. They were identified by the county Medical Examiner's office as a 65-year-old man, his wife, 53, and daughter, 19.
Their four-seat, single-engine Lancair IV-P had departed from San Diego’s Montgomery Field en route to Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Some hikers saw the plane go down and called 911 at 10:18 a.m., a sheriff’s official said.
According to witness reports, “the plane was in some type of spin coming out of the sky,” said sheriff’s Sgt. David Hale.
A sheriff’s helicopter crew found the debris and bodies in a remote canyon west of state Route 67 and Slaughter House Canyon Road.
The husband was piloting the plane with his wife in the front passenger seat and daughter in a back seat, the Medical Examiner’s Office said.
Authorities said the remains of an animal also were found at the crash site.
The helicopter was used to lift the bodies out of the canyon, a sheriff’s official said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. A preliminary NTSB report may be issued in a week or two, but the full investigation may take several months, Gregor said.
The FAA withheld the aircraft’s tail number until next of kin have been notified.
The Lancair website says the IV-P is one of a series of aircraft kits no longer in production.
Designed to be home-built, the four-seat plane is made of lightweight carbon fiber and has a pressurized cabin for flight at high altitudes, according to the Lancair website.
FAA officials notified Lancair operators on Sept. 25, 2009 that the plane had a “disproportionate” number of fatal accidents, according to a story by Bloomberg News earlier this year.
Lancairs represented about 3 percent of the U.S. amateur- built fleet and were involved in 16 percent of the group’s fatal accidents in the previous 11 months, the FAA said in its 2009 notice.
Bloomberg reported that the Lancair IV-P is categorized by the FAA as an experimental aircraft, meaning it’s not subject to the same certification standards as a factory-built plane.
A small airplane crashed near a hiking area in the East County Saturday morning, Cal Fire officials confirmed.
The downed plane was reported at around 10:15 a.m. near Slaughterhouse Canyon Road in Lakeside, within the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve.
Cal Fire Capt. Mike Mohler confirmed reports and said officials responded to the scene just west of State Route 67. Mohler said a hiker in the area first reported the downed aircraft.
A separate Cal Fire official told NBC 7 that three people were aboard the plane at the time of the crash. They were all confirmed dead at the scene.
By 11:20 a.m., Heartland Fire crews had hiked into the scene of the crash and made contact with the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are now investigating.
According to Ian Gregor, public affairs manager for the FAA Pacific Region, the aircraft was an experimental Lancair IV-P plane. It crashed under unknown circumstances.
Gregor says the pilot of the plane had departed from Montgomery Field in San Diego and was headed for Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Ariz.
The crash victims’ identities have not yet been released. Sgt. David Hale from the Santee Sheriff's Station told NBC 7 the victims were one male and two females, but had no additional details.
Officials spent hours at the scene of the crash hoisting the victims out of the wreckage and gathering evidence.
Sgt. Hale told NBC 7 that officials received some reports from wtinesses who said the plane was possibly spinning as it was coming down from the sky.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com
Story and Photo: http://fox5sandiego.com
SAN DIEGO - Authorities say three people were killed when a home-built airplane crashed in a San Diego County nature preserve.
Sheriff's Lt. Scott Amos says the single-engine plane went down Saturday morning within Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve near Lakeside. Amos says there were three people on board and all were killed.
The incident was reported at about 10:18 a.m. Preliminary reports indicated that the plane went down west of state Route 67 off Slaughterhouse Canyon Road.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the four-seat Lancair IV-P had departed from San Diego's Montgomery Field en route to Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix. The FAA withheld the aircraft's tail number until next of kin have been notified.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The Lancair website says the Lancair IV-P is one of a series of aircraft kits that are no longer in production.
