# Accident 19991121041129A: Piper PA60600, Avalon, CA, November 21, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 21, 1999, 10:15 local time - Place: Avalon, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3795° N, 118.4492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3795&lon=-118.4492&mi=10 - Aircraft: N97CC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N97CC-2000-03-31) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Smith AEROSTAR 600 (registry code 8360602, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-600) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60600 - Reported engine: LYC TIO540* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,710 total, 851 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA038) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991121041129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE A/C DEPARTED FULLERTON, CA AIRPORT, WAS CONDUCTING "AIRWORK" OFF THE COAST SOUTH OF SEAL BEACH, CA. AT 1015 PDT RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST WHEN THE A/C WAS 20 MILES SOUTH OF SEAL BEACH (SLI) VOR. THE WRECKAGE AND REMAINS OF ONE PERSON WERE LOCATED BY THE US COAST GUARD. THE BODY WAS RECOVERED AND TAKEN TO THE USCG BASE IN SAN PEDRO, CA. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND SUNK. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 21, 1999, ABOUT 1015 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A SMITH AEROSTAR 600, N97CC, REGISTERED TO THE PILOT, DESCENDED INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN NEAR AVALON, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED AT FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 0930. ACCORDING TO A FAMILY MEMBER, THE AIRPLANE HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AND THE PILOT WAS ACCOMPLISHING A POST MAINTENANCE FLIGHT CHECK. REVIEW OF INFORMATION AND RADAR DATA PROVIDED BY THE FAA DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING VISUAL FLIGHT ADVISORIES FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL. AT 1015, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST ON THE 200-DEGREE RADIAL OF THE SEAL BEACH VOR AT 20 MILES. RECORDED RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE MODE C RETURN WAS LEVEL AT 4,900 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL AND EXHIBITED A SLOWING GROUND SPEED. THE SECONDARY BEACON RETURNS THEN STARTED A DESCENDING RIGHT SPIRAL AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1,000 FEET MSL. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN AND AN AUTOPSY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE. ACCORDING TO THE AUTOPSY REPORT, THE PILOT HAD EXPERIENCED SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH SECONDARY TO AN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION DUE TO ATHEROSCLEROTIC CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. THE ATTESTING PATHOLOGIST OPININED THAT THE EVENT BEGAN FROM 30 MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE PILOT'S DEATH. TRAMADOL, A PAINKILLER NOT APPROVED BY THE FAA FOR FLIGHT, WAS DETECTED IN BLOOD AND TISSUE SAMPLES SUBMITTED FOR TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS. THE PATHOLOGIST STATED THAT THE DRUG MAY HAVE MASKED THE CHEST PAIN SYMPTOMS OF THE CARDIAC EVENT. THE A/C WAS NOT RECOVERED. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT ON NOVEMER 5, 1999, THE OIL WAS CHANGED ON BOTH ENGINES. DURING ENGINE RUN-UP A "HOT" OR NON-GROUNDING MAGNETO WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. A LOOSE "P" LEAD FOR GROUNDING THE MAGNETO WAS DISCOVERED AND REATTACHED. AT THE SAME TIME, A BROKEN EXHAUST FLANGE WAS DISCOVERED ON THE NO. 6 ENGINE CYLINDER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND A GAS TEMPERATURE PROBE WERE REPLACED ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OCCURRED ON JULY 16, 1999. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX00LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA038), Nov 21, 1999: Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 600 (N97CC), Avalon, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's in-flight loss of control due to physical incapacitation from sudden cardiac death secondary to an acute myocardial infarction. ## Other reports on N97CC (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19770621019519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19770621019519A), Jun 21, 1977: Piper 600SMITH (N97CC), South Hill, VA, Substantial damage From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.