Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N3535M
Location: Redding, CA
Accident Number: WPR15LA150
Date & Time: 04/18/2015, 0838 PDT
Registration: N3535M
Aircraft: CESSNA 206H
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
Analysis
A witness reported that he saw the airplane climb and then abruptly descend straight down and that it sounded as if the engine was at full power. Radar data indicated that the airplane departed the airport climbing to the east. While still climbing, the airplane made an approximate 360-degree turn. When the airplane reached about 5,500 ft, it descended in a straight line until it impacted the ground. While law enforcement officers were on scene, they received notification of a welfare check on the pilot because he had sent suicidal text messages to friends and family members earlier that morning. The autopsy report determined that the pilot’s cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma with the manner of death being suicide.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's intentional descent into terrain.
Findings
Personnel issues
Suicide - Pilot (Cause)
Factual Information
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On April 18, 2015, about 0838 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 206H, N3535M, impacted terrain about six miles east of the Redding Municipal Airport (RDD), Redding, California. The commercial pilot (the sole occupant) was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee, and operated by McClelland Aviation doing business as Aperture Aviation under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from RDD at about 0830.
A witness reported that he heard and saw the airplane climbing and gaining altitude when the airplane abruptly descended straight down at, what sounded like, full power. About 500 feet above the ground he heard the engine slowly decelerate before the airplane impacted an open field. The witness mentioned that he did not observe any evasive maneuvers prior to impact.
Radar data revealed the airplane took off and proceeded to climb towards the east. About nine miles from the airport the airplane continued to climb and made an approximate 360 degree turn. Toward the end of the turn, the airplane reached about 5,500 feet. The airplane descended in a straight line until it impacted the ground.
Law enforcement reported that, while they were on scene, they received notification of a welfare check on the pilot because he had sent suicidal text messages to various friends and family members earlier that morning.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 34, held a commercial pilot certificate, as well as a certified flight instructor certificate, for airplane single- and multi- engine land with an instrument rating. The pilot also held a first-class airman medical certificate issued October 14, 2014 with no limitations. During the pilot's most recent medical examination, he reported that he had 850 total flight hours, 350 of which occurred in the previous six months.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 20608161, was manufactured in 2001. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5, 300 horsepower engine, and equipped with a McCauley Model B3D36C432/80VSA-1 controllable pitch propeller. The airplane's most recent maintenance was an annual inspection that occurred on May 12, 2015.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 0753, the weather at RDD was reported as calm wind, 10 statute miles of visibility, clear skies, temperature 13 degrees C, dewpoint 8 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of Mercury.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
Given the nature of the accident the National Transportation Safety Board did not conduct an on scene examination. However, photographs provided by law enforcement as well as the Federal Aviation Administration revealed the airplane impacted in a nose low attitude and was heavily fragmented throughout. The engine was separated from the firewall and was heavily damaged. The camshaft from within the engine was found separated and was bent mid span. There was a heavy fuel odor around the wreckage.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
The Shasta County Coroner reported the pilot's cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma, with the manner of death being suicide.
The Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute performed forensic toxicology on the specimens from the pilot with no evidence of tested drugs detected in the muscle. The test was positive for ethanol (24 mg/dL) detected in the muscle; it was unable to be determined if the ethanol was from ingestion or postmortem production.
History of Flight
Maneuvering
Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) (Defining event)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 34
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Unknown
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/14/2014
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/02/2014
Flight Time: (Estimated) 850 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Registration: N3535M
Model/Series: 206H
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 20608161
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/12/2015, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3800 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 76 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3046 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-540 SERIES
Registered Owner: WELLS FARGO BANK NORTHWEST NA TRUSTEE
Rated Power: 300 hp
Operator: McClelland Aviation Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Does Business As: Aperture Aviation
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RDD, 505 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 3 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0753 PDT
Direction from Accident Site: 105°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Calm /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 8°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Redding, CA (RDD)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Redding, CA (RDD)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0830 PDT
Type of Airspace:
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 40.505278, -122.289444 (est)
Shasta County Sheriff's Office
Zachary Cain Stickler crashed his plane into a California field on April 18, 2015, a day after he pleaded not guilty in Shasta County Superior Court to making criminal threats and to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute.
Zachary Cain Stickler crashed his plane into a California field on April 18, 2015, a day after he pleaded not guilty in Shasta County Superior Court to making criminal threats and to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute.
A pilot who authorities said took his life by intentionally crashing his plane into a field in northern California Saturday formerly lived in the Chicago area before he moved to the West Coast to further his career, his former employer said.
Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, formerly of Wadsworth in Lake County, had texted friends to let them know his intentions, authorities in California said.
The previous day, Stickler had pleaded not guilty in Shasta County Superior Court to making criminal threats and to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute, Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said.
"I was absolutely shocked when I heard that," said Jason Lamberton, chief operating officer of Accelerated Flight Training in Long Beach, Calif., where Stickler had previously worked as a flight instructor. "You never really know somebody, but he was not the kind of individual. … It is a terrible terrible loss."
Stickler moved from Wadsworth to Long Beach in late 2013, according to public records. He worked for Accelerated Flight Training for about 10 months before telling Lamberton in December that he was leaving the job to accommodate his girlfriend's job opportunity.
The couple moved to Redding, Calif., in the Sacramento Valley more than 200 miles north of San Francisco.
"They moved here to launch their professional careers together," said Lamberton, who described Stickler as professional and punctual. "…I offered to give him a reference (when he left the company) because he was an asset to our team."
The charges stemmed from an argument in February in Redding that escalated and became physical, Bridgett said. The victim was dating Stickler, and the two were living together.
The woman with whom he lived posted on her Facebook page Saturday: "The greatest adventure buddy of my life died yesterday. He told me he had no regrets."
She went on seemingly to quote Stickler as stating, "'I'm going out on a high note. I actually lived life. How many people can truly say that? Is it better to have something mediocre for years and years or have something that's condensed with beauty and over quickly?...I LOVED MY LIFE!'"
Stickler killed himself by crashing into a pasture on Saturday morning, Shasta County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Reynolds said. Sheriff's officials responded to a report of an explosion around 8:30 a.m. and found a small debris field at the site where the single-engine Cessna crashed.
Text messages Stickler sent to friends and family before he crashed indicated he was distraught and planned to kill himself, Reynolds said. There was no indication he wanted to hurt anyone else, Reynolds added.
Sheriff's officials said they did not know what, if anything, triggered Stickler to take his life.
Stickler worked more recently for Aperture Aviation, an aerial photography company, which extended its sympathies to his family and friends in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration has assigned two inspectors to the crash, one of whom may conduct an on-site inspection, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Original article can be found here: http://www.chicagotribune.com
REDDING, Calif. —A pilot killed
himself by intentionally crashing his plane into a field in California a
day after pleading not guilty to domestic violence charges, authorities
said Tuesday.The previous day, Stickler had pleaded not guilty in Shasta County Superior Court to making criminal threats and to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute, Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said.
"I was absolutely shocked when I heard that," said Jason Lamberton, chief operating officer of Accelerated Flight Training in Long Beach, Calif., where Stickler had previously worked as a flight instructor. "You never really know somebody, but he was not the kind of individual. … It is a terrible terrible loss."
Stickler moved from Wadsworth to Long Beach in late 2013, according to public records. He worked for Accelerated Flight Training for about 10 months before telling Lamberton in December that he was leaving the job to accommodate his girlfriend's job opportunity.
The couple moved to Redding, Calif., in the Sacramento Valley more than 200 miles north of San Francisco.
"They moved here to launch their professional careers together," said Lamberton, who described Stickler as professional and punctual. "…I offered to give him a reference (when he left the company) because he was an asset to our team."
The charges stemmed from an argument in February in Redding that escalated and became physical, Bridgett said. The victim was dating Stickler, and the two were living together.
The woman with whom he lived posted on her Facebook page Saturday: "The greatest adventure buddy of my life died yesterday. He told me he had no regrets."
She went on seemingly to quote Stickler as stating, "'I'm going out on a high note. I actually lived life. How many people can truly say that? Is it better to have something mediocre for years and years or have something that's condensed with beauty and over quickly?...I LOVED MY LIFE!'"
Stickler killed himself by crashing into a pasture on Saturday morning, Shasta County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Reynolds said. Sheriff's officials responded to a report of an explosion around 8:30 a.m. and found a small debris field at the site where the single-engine Cessna crashed.
Text messages Stickler sent to friends and family before he crashed indicated he was distraught and planned to kill himself, Reynolds said. There was no indication he wanted to hurt anyone else, Reynolds added.
Sheriff's officials said they did not know what, if anything, triggered Stickler to take his life.
Stickler worked more recently for Aperture Aviation, an aerial photography company, which extended its sympathies to his family and friends in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration has assigned two inspectors to the crash, one of whom may conduct an on-site inspection, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Original article can be found here: http://www.chicagotribune.com
Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, entered the plea on Friday in Shasta County Superior Court to a felony count of making criminal threats and a misdemeanor battery charge, Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said.
The charges stemmed from an argument in February in Redding that escalated and became physical, Bridgett said. The victim was dating Stickler, and the two were living together.
She declined to provide more detail, saying she wanted to protect the victim's privacy.
Stickler committed suicide by crashing into a pasture on Saturday morning, Shasta County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Reynolds said. Sheriff's officials responded to a report of an explosion around 8:30 a.m. and found a small debris field at the site where the single-engine Cessna crashed.
Reynolds said text messages Stickler sent to friends and family before he crashed indicated he was distraught and planned to kill himself. There was no indication he wanted to hurt anyone else, Reynolds said.
=======
The pilot who was involved in a plane crash early Saturday morning in Millville has been identified as Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, from Grass Valley.
According to the Shasta County Sheriff's office, the plane crash was intentional. Investigators say Stickler left messages with family and friends.
Investigators say Stickler was using the single engine Cessna 206 for work and the plane was registered to a third party.
Stickler took off from the Redding airport just after 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, just 34 minutes later the plane crashed in an open field in Millville.
Residents in the area reported hearing an explosion prior to the plane going down.
Stickler was the only occupant inside the plane during the time of the crash.
The coroner's office identified Stickler through fingerprints.
The Shasta County Sheriff's Office is working with NTSB on providing any information needed.
MILLVILLE, Calif. - The pilot of the single occupant plane crash on Saturday morning in Millville Plains has been identified as Zachary Cain Stickler, 34, of Grass Valley, California, the Shasta County Coroner's Office reported Monday.
According to officials, Stickler boarded the small aircraft from the Redding Airport shortly after 8:00 a.m., the collision was reported at 8:34 a.m.
It was determined through the investigation and interviews that the collision was an intentional act, not an accident. Due to the intentional act, the FAA will not be responding for a formal investigation. The Sheriff’s Office will forward their investigation to the FAA for review.
The Coroner’s Office was able to make notification of the next of kin.
The area of the collision is on private property and the Sheriff’s Office is heavily discouraging the public from attempting to view the area of the collision. A security company at the scene is not allowing anyone onto the property at this time.
