19990619024619A

(.19) On June 19, 1999, at 1103 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182A, N4824D, was destroyed when it collided with terrain during the takeoff initial climb from the municipal airport in Paso Robles, California. Blue sky adventures operated the aircraft under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The commercial pilot and four skydivers were onboard for the local skydiving flight. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries in the ground collision sequence. Two passengers sustained serious injuries, one of whom succumbed to her injuries 2 days after the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Witnesses stated the aircraft was being refueled when a pickup truck delivered the skydivers. The aircraft was configured with one seat for the pilot and a 2-inch foam pad for the skydivers. Winds were reported from 290 degrees at 11 knots and other aircraft were using either runway 31 or 01. This aircraft was observed to taxi to taxiway charlie and depart midfield on runway 19, with 3,200 feet remaining. Some witnesses stated the departure appeared normal; others felt it was extremely steep. The lone survivor was in the front right posit ion facing to the rear. He stated to a sheriff's deputy that as they were getting to speed he felt the airplane go a little left, but that was corrected. Then it felt like the airplane went straight up and he felt something was wrong. He thought it flattened out about 500 feet. He remembered the pilot rapidly doing something with her right hand. He did not remember the aircraft nose going down. Witnesses reported the aircraft descended as steeply as it had climbed. The first identified point of ground contact (ipc) was measured on a map at 1,200 feet from the departure end of runway 19. Two furrows about 4 feet apart were observed in sandy soil. About 4 feet later, a third furrow started 4 feet on the left. Ground scars were continuous from the ipc to the wreckage along a magnetic bearing of 190 degrees. About 10 feet from its starting point, the center furrow spread to a crater about 4 feet wide, 18 feet long, and 6 inches deep at the deepest point. Part of the nose gear fork was found 1 foot past the end of the crater. Sixty-four feet past the ipc, the ground scar proceeded through a section of barbed wire fence. The jump step was on centerline 64 feet from the ipc. About 10 feet right and next to remaining fence was the left wing tip. The ground scaring, debris, and barbed wire then crossed a road and went into a flat field. The main wreckage was 217 feet from the ipc. The fuselage fractured and separated ahead of the dorsal fin. The cabin and wings were inverted and twisted. The right wing was on the left side with the cabin aligned on a heading of 210 degrees. The empennage remained upright and was aligned 300 degrees. The engine and propeller separated from the aircraft and were 293 feet from the ipc on a heading of 130. Two propeller blades were attached; the third was 10 feet away. Approximately 20 gallons of fuel remained in the right fuel tank; the left tank was ruptured. The wreckage was examined at aircraft recovery service in compton, California, on June 20, 1999. The engine was rotated and all the valves moved freely. Thumb compression was contained on all cylinders. The top spark plugs were removed and inspected; number 1 fractured during removal. The electrodes exhibited no mechanical damage; numbers 4 and 6 were wet. The engine was rotated and spark was observed from the ignition harness for each cylinder. The carb uretor was damaged; its finger screen was clean. The fuel strainer screen was clean. The engine was then disassembled with no unusual operating condition noted to any internal component.