Thursday, April 16, 2015

Pitts S2E Special, N75BH: Fatal accident occurred April 14, 2015 in Lebec, California

NTSB Identification: WPR15FA147
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, April 14, 2015 in Lebec, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/02/2016
Aircraft: ROBERT C. HANSON PITTS S2E, registration: N75BH
Injuries: 1 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 airline transport pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-county flight. When he did not check in after a planned stop, the pilot’s family reported him overdue, and an ALNOT (alert notice) was issued. The wreckage was located the next day in a remote area. Data retrieved from a handheld GPS unit revealed that, after takeoff, the airplane attained a maximum altitude of 2,500 ft above ground level (agl) and then descended to about 200 ft agl above an interstate. The airplane then turned east as it approached a mountain range. The final portion of the recording identified the airplane in a climbing left turn, starting from about 100 ft agl, climbing to 900 ft agl before descending in a right turn. The airplane impacted mountainous tree-covered terrain on a ridgeline. The wreckage distribution path was about 500 feet long and the airplane was heavily fragmented.

Weather conditions at the departure airport were VFR; however, an AIRMET (Airman’s Meteorological Information) for instrument meteorological conditions was in effect for the area at the time of the accident; witnesses reported low clouds in the area on the morning of the accident. No record was found that indicated that the pilot contacted a flight service station for a weather briefing.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

It is likely that the pilot encountered adverse weather along the flight route as the airplane approached the mountain range, which forced the pilot to maneuver from his course and change altitude in an attempt to remain in visual conditions. The flight likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions as it continued further into the mountains, and, during the pilot’s likely attempted to return to the interstate, he did not maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from rising terrain. 

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On April 14, 2015, about 0811 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an experimental amateur-built Robert C. Hanson Pitts S2E airplane, N75BH, collided with trees and mountainous terrain about 3 miles northeast of Lebec, California. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were reported in the area of the accident. The accident flight originated at the Meadows Field Airport (BFL), Bakersfield, California, about 0748, en route to Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California. No flight plan was filed, and there is no record that a weather briefing was obtained.

Family members reported that the pilot recently purchased the airplane, and it was being flown to his home in Missouri when the accident occurred. When the airplane did not arrive in Blythe, a concerned family member notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA subsequently issued an alert notice (ALNOT) at 1502 Pacific daylight time.

On April 15, about 1000, the airplane's fragmented wreckage was located by a worker in a remote area of a private ranch, about 40 miles south of the Meadows Field Airport.

Witness stated that on the morning of the accident the weather conditions were poor, and there were dark, low clouds in the area. One witness reported seeing an airplane similar to the accident airplane flying low over the interstate, and stated there were low, dense clouds in the area.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 36, held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating, commercial pilot certificate, and a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine land rating. He held type ratings in an Airbus A-320, Beechjet BE- 400, Canadair CL-65, Falcon DA-50, Falcon DA-7X, Hawker HS-125, and a Mitsubishi MU-300. His most recent first-class medical was issued July 1, 2014, and identified the limitation that he must wear corrective lenses.

A partial copy of the pilot's logbook was made available for review. The pilot had about 8,200 total flight hours. He had recently purchased the Pitts S2E, N75BH. Logbook records indicate that the pilot had logged 6.2 hours, all dual received time, in a similar Pitts S2E airplane. Two weeks before the accident, the pilot received an endorsement of training in a Pitts S2E that included normal and crosswind taxi, takeoff and landings, and simulated engine out emergency landings.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The two-seat, bi-wing, fixed gear, amateur built airplane was powered by a Lycoming IO-360 engine. A review of the maintenance records revealed that the airplane's most recent conditional inspection was completed on April 13, 2015, at 226.07 tachometer hours. The tachometer was observed at the accident site with a time of 226.09 hours. The Hobbs hour-meter was never observed at the accident site.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The closest weather reporting facility was Sandberg (KSDB), about 10 miles southeast of the accident site. At 0813, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported, in part: Wind from 340 degrees at 25 knots, peak gusts to 35 knots; visibility 1 statute mile; clouds and sky condition, 200 feet overcast; temperature 6 degrees C; dew point 4 degrees C; altimeter 30.18 inHg. 

Witnesses located near the accident site, at the time of the accident, reported that weather conditions were much worse than that being reported at the airport. An AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) and current observations indicated marginal visual meteorological conditions (MVMC) to instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) conditions existed prior to departure. There is no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing from Lockheed Martin Flight Service.

Additional information can be found in the Weather Study Report in the public docket for this report.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane impacted mountainous tree covered terrain on an approximate heading of 090 degrees. The first observed impact point were trees on a ridgeline about 4,000 feet mean sea level (msl). At the initial ground impact point, the propeller was mostly buried in terrain; it was about 350 feet from the first observed point of impact point. The debris field from the first observed point of impact to the main wreckage was about 500 feet.

Portions of the left wing were found in trees, and fragments of wing fabric were scattered down the hillside. The main wreckage, including the cockpit and engine, were in an open field below the ridgeline.

The wreckage was later recovered to a hangar facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board examined the wreckage at the hangar facility on April 17, 2015. 

Examination of the wreckage revealed extensive fragmentations of the airplane's structure. The left wing sustained significantly more damage than the right wing. All pieces of the flight control system were identified; the connecting rods were bent and buckled. Outboard portions of each wing tip were accounted for. The wings wooden spar was fragmented, along with portions of the ailerons. Smaller components in the trees were unrecoverable. 

The engine separated from the airframe during the accident sequence, and extensive impact related damage was noted throughout. The propeller hub detached from the crankshaft flange; the propeller blades remained primarily intact, the end of one blade was found separated. The propeller blades were bent back with chordwise striations. Engine drive train continuity was established by manually rotating the crankshaft with a rod welded onto the crankshaft. The crankshaft rotated freely, and the valves moved approximately the same amount of lift in firing order.

Examination of the recovered airframe, engine, and system components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Additional examination information can be found in the wreckage examination report with accompanying pictures located in the public docket for this accident.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot on April 21, 2015, by Kern County Coroner's Office, in Bakersfield. The cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt force trauma.

The FAA Bioaeronautical Forensic Toxicology Laboratory detected ethanol in the muscle (19 mg/hg), but not in the liver. After absorption, ethanol is quickly distributed throughout the body's tissues and fluids fairly uniformly. This is consistent with postmortem production, and it is unlikely that ethanol played a role in the accident.

In addition, pheniramine was detected in the liver. Pheniramine is a sedating antihistamine used in cold and allergy products. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A Garmin GPSMAP 396 was recovered from the wreckage and was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, where it was successfully downloaded. Review of the device revealed the airplane's flight path, altitude, and groundspeed. 

The data revealed that at 0750 the airplane began its takeoff roll from BFL. The airplane reached a maximum altitude of about 2,500 feet above ground level (agl), until descending over the interstate to about 200 feet agl, before turning east towards the Tehachapi Mountains. The final portion of the recording identified the airplane in a climbing turn, starting from about 100 feet agl, climbing to 900 feet agl before the airplane began a descending right turn before the recording stopped at 0811.

Additional information and all figures can be found in the Electronic Devices Factual Report located in the public docket for this accident. 

NTSB Identification: WPR15FA147 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, April 14, 2015 in Lebec, CA
Aircraft: ROBERT C. HANSON PITTS S2E, registration: N75BH
Injuries: 1 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 April 14, 2015, about 0815 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Pitts S2E airplane, N75BH, was destroyed when it collided with trees and mountainous terrain about 3 miles northeast of Lebec, California. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were reported in the area of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The accident flight originated at the Bakersfield Airport, Bakersfield, California about 0748, en route to Blythe, California. 

Family members reported that the pilot recently purchased the airplane and it was being flown to his home in Missouri when the accident occurred. When the airplane did not arrive in Blythe, a concerned family member notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA subsequently issued an alert notice (ALNOT) at 1502. 

On April 15, about 1000, the airplane's fragmented wreckage was located by a worker in a remote area of a private ranch. 

On April 16, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) examined the wreckage. The on-scene investigation revealed that the airplane impacted a mountainous tree-covered ridgeline, at an elevation of about 4,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The debris field was about 500 feet long from the first observed point of impact. All of the airplane's major components were found at the wreckage site. 

On April 17, investigators from the NTSB examined the engine and airframe at the facilities of Air Transport, Phoenix, Arizona; the examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. 

The closest weather reporting facility was Sandberg (KSDB), about 10 miles southeast of the accident site. At 0813, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported, in part: Wind from 340 degrees at 25 knots, peak gusts to 35 knots; visibility, 1 statute mile; clouds and sky condition, 200 feet overcast; temperature, 6 degrees C; dew point, 4 degrees C; altimeter, 30.18 inHg. Witnesses located near the accident site, at the time of the accident, reported that weather conditions were much worse than that being reported at the airport.

http://registry.faa.gov/N75BH    

Any witnesses should email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email  assistance@ntsb.gov.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - The name of the pilot who died in an April 15 crash on Tejon Ranch has been identified. 

Wednesday, the Kern County coroner's office released the name of the pilot, 36-year-old Ryan Scott Ward of Saint Charles, Missouri.

The wreckage was found by a Tejon Ranch employee doing maintenance on the water system. The crash site was in rugged terrain, in a canyon. First-responders had to get there on foot and requested off-road vehicles, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting an investigation.


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Tejon Ranch, LEBEC, CA (Wednesday, March 15, 2015 at 11 a.m.) — Authorities have arrived at Tejon Ranch after a private plane crash has been located about 5 miles east of Interstate 5, inside the ranch. 

One fatality (the pilot) has been reported. 

Crews at the scene reported that the occupant had been ejected from the aircraft.

According to Kern County Sheriff’s Sergeant Mark Brown, the crash probably occurred “days ago.”

[Update] According to Tejon Ranch spokesman Barry Zoeller, a ranch maintenance worker who was out checking water systems discovered the wreckage in the Silver Springs area of the ranch on Wednesday and reported it to his supervisor, who then reported it to authorities. National Transportation Safety Board personnel were at the scene. The plane was reported to have been enroute from Bakersfield to Blythe, on the California/Arizona border.

Source:  http://mountainenterprise.com



The FAA says the plane that crashed was a Pitts Biplane. The Mountain Enterprise newspaper reports the crash site is about 5 miles east of I-5. A ranch maintenance worker discovered the wreckage on Wednesday and reported it to his supervisor, who then reported it to authorities.

The Kern county Sheriff's Office is reporting a small plane crash near Lebec.

The wreckage is in an area east of El Tejon School on Tejon Ranch, according to KCSO.

Kern County Fire is also responding to the scene. They say there was a report of a small plane that had been missing for several days. 

KCSO says the wreckage is spread over a wide area and it appears the pilot is dead. 

Source:  http://www.kerngoldenempire.com




BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A person is dead after investigators with the Kern County Sheriff's Office found debris of what they believe to be a plane crash near Lebec.

A spokesperson with the KCSO said the location of the crash was about four to five miles east of El Tejon Elementary School inside a steep canyon area.

The wreckage was in such steep terrain that emergency vehicles weren't able to reach it, except for a KCSO helicopter. The KCSO spokesperson said the site was also on private property.

Officials with the Kern County Fire Department said the plane went missing for about two days.

Barry Zoeller, VP of Corporate Communications for the Tejon Ranch, told us one of their ranch hands was checking on the water systems for the cattle, when he stumbled upon the wreckage debris. 

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were notified of the crash. A spokesperson with the FAA later told 23ABC the plane was headed from Bakersfield to Blythe, located about two hours east of Palm Springs. 

The identity of the person has not been released. 

Source:  http://www.turnto23.com



 A Pitts biplane that was reported missing Tuesday crashed near El Tejon Middle School and at least one person has died, officials said Wednesday.

The plane was being flown from Bakersfield to Blythe, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. The FAA does not identify crew or passengers in airplane crashes, he said.

Gregor said he could not release the plane’s tail number until next of kin of the person killed is notified.

A man checking water troughs for cattle saw the wreckage of the plane Wednesday morning, said Tejon Ranch spokesman Barry Zoeller.

He notified his supervisor, who called authorities, Zoeller said.

There was at least one fatality in the crash, said sheriff’s department spokesman Ray Pruitt.

No other details were available, including exactly when the plane crashed, but sheriff’s deputies secured the site for investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, Pruitt said.

The crash site was in a steep canyon about four to five miles east of El Tejon Middle School, Zoeller said.

The NTSB was on scene Wednesday but had no additional information, a spokesperson said.

Source: http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - An investigation is underway after an airplane's wreckage was found Wednesday morning on Tejon Ranch.


Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane - a Pitts S2E biplane - had been reported missing around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

He said it was heading from Bakersfield to Blythe, a city to the east of the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley area.

Ray Pruitt of the Kern County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the pilot is dead and that investigators believe he or she was the only person inside the plane.

It's unknown whether the pilot died before or after the crash.

The wreckage was found by a Tejon ranch hand doing maintenance on the water system, according to Tejon spokesman Barry Zoeller.

"It's unfortunate, and our thoughts and prayers obviously go out to the pilot's family," he said. "I've been at Tejon Ranch now 11 years, and this is only the second time that a plane has crashed on our property in that period of time."

Pruitt explained that the crash site was in rugged terrain, in a canyon. First responders had to get there on foot and requested off-road vehicles to get there.

"It's an area where people generally aren't," said Zoeller, who attempted to get a first-hand look. "It was too far away. All you could catch are glimpses of the wreckage."

The crash site is about 5 miles off Interstate 5.

KCSO could not release any information about the pilot.

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com

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