Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Atlas Impala Mk I MB.326M, N155TP: Accident occurred March 05, 2021 near Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW), Kern County, California

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.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Van Nuys, California Location: Edwards, CA
Accident Number: WPR21LA123
Date & Time: March 5, 2021, 10:10 Local 
Registration: N155TP
Aircraft: Aermacchi IMPALA MB-326M 
Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On March 5, 2021, about 1010 Pacific standard time, a Aermacchi Impala MB-326M airplane, N155TP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Edwards, California. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries and pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The operator reported that the purpose of the accident flight was to conduct spin training. While conducting a left rotation inverted spin, the pilot and flight instructor noticed that the airplane did not feel normal, and the rotation of the spin appeared to accelerate. Despite multiple attempts, they were unable to recover from the spin. Upon reaching their designated safe altitude, the flight instructor and pilot ejected from the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and post impact fire ensued.

Photographs provided by the operator revealed that fuselage and wings were structurally damaged. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Aermacchi 
Registration: N155TP
Model/Series: IMPALA MB-326M
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KEDW,2311 ft msl 
Observation Time: 09:58 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 9 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: 11°C /-5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 26000 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: 
Visibility: 50 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.23 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Mojave, CA (KMHV) 
Destination: Edwards, CA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 1 Serious, 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 34.91891,-118.03839 (est)

1 comment:

  1. It's good to see the pilots escape unharmed. The school lost a nice aircraft.

    https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39629/non-military-mb-326m-jet-trainer-aircraft-crashes-near-edwards-air-force-base-in-california

    ReplyDelete