The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Jose, California
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Accident Number: WPR21LA342
Date & Time: September 13, 2021, 13:50 Local
Registration: N162DF
Aircraft: Beech 58
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Beech
Registration: N162DF
Model/Series: 58 P
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
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: KPAO,7 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:47 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C /15°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 330°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.87 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Palo Alto, CA
Destination: Reno, NV (RNO)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 37.457391,-122.10347 (est)
An 80-year-old Vietnam Vet was reportedly the pilot and only person aboard a small plane that crashed in Palo Alto on Monday afternoon after coming into contact with power lines, KTVU reported.
KTVU didn't share the pilot's name but interviewed his daughter who said that her father "flew Navy aircraft for years and likely relied on his muscle memory in making Monday’s difficult landing."
A Beechcraft 58P Baron struck power lines northeast of the Palo Alto Airport about 1:50 p.m. local time today, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The pilot of a plane that reportedly experienced mechanical failure after taking off from the Palo Alto Airport Monday at 1:47 p.m. tried to return to the facility, only to crash into the marshland near the airport at 1:50 p.m., according to local officials and a flight-data website.
After takeoff, the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 58P made a U-turn near Fremont's Dumbarton Point, then struck Palo Alto power lines and crashed landed, flight-tracking data shows. The impact sheared off a part of the plane's wing, which landed a couple hundred feet away from the aircraft.
"The plane landed on its belly," Palo Alto fire Battalion Chief Shane Yarbrough told this news organization.
The pilot didn't have significant injuries, according to the Fire Department.
The pilot was able to safely exit the aircraft and paramedics administered medical aid. He was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure, Yarbrough said.
The plane carried 166 gallons of fuel, leading to fears of a fuel spill in the Baylands on Monday afternoon, according to emergency dispatch reports.
California Fish and Wildlife inspectors were called to assess any potential fuel spill and its effect on the wetlands, Yarbrough said.
City of Palo Alto spokesperson Meghan Horrigan Taylor said on Tuesday that some fuel spilled. City personnel, along with a cleanup contractor, were on-site yesterday containing and cleaning up the spill.
The small plane was visible, upright and resting on marshland just east of the Baylands Nature Interpretive Center. A hazardous waste team was called to the scene, as well as a helicopter crew from the California Highway Patrol.
The incident will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, with NTSB in charge, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said.
The plane is registered to Faford Aviation Leasing Company in Atherton, according to Federal Aviation Administration registry records. It was built in 1982 and is currently registered with the agency.
The plane took off from the airport, located at 1925 Embarcadero Road, 19 minutes ahead of schedule, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. It ascended to an altitude of 450 feet. The trip covered 8 miles and lasted three minutes.
Palo Alto — A small plane crashed into a marsh near the Palo Alto Airport on Monday after striking power lines, the Palo Alto Fire Department said.
At about 1:50 p.m. Monday, the pilot of a Beechcraft Barron hit the wires and crashed into marshland surrounding the airport but was able to safely walk away, Palo Alto Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin McNally said.
The male pilot was the only passenger on the aircraft and didn’t appear to have suffered any significant injuries, McNally said. The pilot was taken to a local hospital for precautionary purposes.
The plane is currently sitting on the marsh “fairly intact” and missing part of a wing and there’s a smell of fuel in the air but no visual sheen on what’s mostly dry vegetation.
The FAA said in a statement that it will release the tail number of the aircraft once investigators verify it at the scene. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The safety board will be in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates.
PG&E and Palo Alto Utilities do not show any significant power outages related to the crash in the area.
