What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The student pilot appeared to lose control of the airplane and crash vertically into an unoccupied area of the desert. Witnesses said that they heard a loud engine noise and observed the airplane pointed nose down, spiraling to the ground, just before they heard it impact the ground. There was an odor of fuel at the accident site. But, there was no fire. (.19)on December 4, 2002, about 1210 pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N15969, impacted desert terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Phelan, California. The airplane was operated by midfield aviation, and rented by the student pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area instructional flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the apple valley airport (apv), apple valley, California, at an undetermined time. The flight was scheduled to terminate at apv. The accident site was situated in the desert in a sparsely populated residential area northwest of Phelan. The main wreckage area distribution, including air plane debris and ground impressions, were contained in a linear distribution off the left wing, approximately 40 feet in length. The first identified point of contact (ipc) was a right wing ground impression. The ground impression was the approximate length of the wing with an intact green lens cap found towards the tip of the impression. The airplane came to rest about 5 feet from the ipc on a southeasterly heading. According to personnel at the flight school, the student pilot had rented the airplane for two flights; one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. They stated that the morning flight was to practice maneuvers in preparation for his private pilot check ride. Flight school personnel did not know what the afternoon flight was for. According to ground witness who were 1/4 mile southwest of the accident site, the airplane was about 500 feet above the ground. Both witnesses heard a loud engine noise and looked towards the sky. They saw the accident airplane in a nose-down spiral. The witnesses did not see the airplane contact the ground due to high vegetation in the area. They called 911, and then went to see if they could help the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT APPEARED TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND CRASH VERTICALLY INTO AN UNOCCUPIED AREA OF THE DESERT. WITNESSES SAID THAT THEY HEARD A LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE POINTED NOSE DOWN, SPIRALING TO THE GROUND, JUST BEFORE THEY HEARD IT IMPACT THE GROUND. THERE WAS AN ODOR OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. BUT, THERE WAS NO FIRE. (.19)ON DECEMBER 4, 2002, ABOUT 1210 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N15969, IMPACTED DESERT TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR PHELAN, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY MIDFIELD AVIATION, AND RENTED BY THE STUDENT PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT (APV), APPLE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT APV.THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS SITUATED IN THE DESERT IN A SPARSELY POPULATED RESIDENTIAL AREA NORTHWEST OF PHELAN. THE MAIN WRECKAGE AREA DISTRIBUTION, INCLUDING AIR PLANE DEBRIS AND GROUND IMPRESSIONS, WERE CONTAINED IN A LINEAR DISTRIBUTION OFF THE LEFT WING, APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET IN LENGTH. THE FIRST IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT (IPC) WAS A RIGHT WING GROUND IMPRESSION. THE GROUND IMPRESSION WAS THE APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF THE WING WITH AN INTACT GREEN LENS CAP FOUND TOWARDS THE TIP OF THE IMPRESSION. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 5 FEET FROM THE IPC ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING.ACCORDING TO PERSONNEL AT THE FLIGHT SCHOOL, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD RENTED THE AIRPLANE FOR TWO FLIGHTS; ONE IN THE MORNING, AND ONE IN THE AFTERNOON. THEY STATED THAT THE MORNING FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS IN PREPARATION FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECK RIDE. FLIGHT SCHOOL PERSONNEL DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE AFTERNOON FLIGHT WAS FOR. ACCORDING TO GROUND WITNESS WHO WERE 1/4 MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. BOTH WITNESSES HEARD A LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND LOOKED TOWARDS THE SKY. THEY SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE IN A NOSE-DOWN SPIRAL. THE WITNESSES DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE CONTACT THE GROUND DUE TO HIGH VEGETATION IN THE AREA. THEY CALLED 911, AND THEN WENT TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N15969 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.