What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On March 7, 2003, at 1500 pacific standard time, a Cessna 172L, N19770, collided with terrain near Rosamond, California. The airplane was operated by kern charter service, inc., and rented by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was destroyed in the postimpact fire. The pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The personal cross-country flight departed bakersfield municipal airport (L45), bakersfield, California, about 1400, with an en route stop at Skyotee airport (CL74), Rosamond. The flight's destination was the laughlin/bullhead international airport (ifp), bullhead city, Arizona. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. According to witnesses in the area, they heard the airplane takeoff, and then a loud "bang." They proceeded to the crash site and attempted to assist the occupants; however, the airplane was on fire and they were unable to get near the airplane. Skyotee Ranch Airport is a private dirt airstrip with power lines located about 100 feet from the departure end of the runway. The accident site was located 1/4 mile southwest from the departure end of the runway in an alfalfa field. The surrounding area is a farming community. The first observed point of contact (ipi) contained white lens fragments and a portion of the right aileron. Adjacent to the aileron was red lens fragments. About 35 feet from the ipi was a small hole with propeller blade strikes on either side of it. On the southern side of the hole was an impression in the ground the length of a wing. At the end of the impression were green lens fragments. The airplane came to rest right side up, 140 feet from the ipi. The empennage came to rest on a northerly heading. The cockpit and engine came to rest on an easterly heading. The left wing came to rest next to the fuselage and engine. The right wing came to rest upside down near the tail. An engine teardown was conducted at aircraft recovery services in littlerock, California, on March 9, 2003. The postimpact fire destroyed the components and accessory case. The top spark plugs were removed and showed evidence of heavy sooting. No discrepancies were noted during the teardown of the engine. (-23) at 1455 PST on Friday 03/07/03, garrick ballantine, acting as pilot in command of a Cessna 172L, N19770, departed Skyotee (CL74) a 2600 foot lon g dirt (sand and semi-rough) runway 25 for a VFR flight to ifp (laughlin/bullhead city AZ). The take off was into the late afternoon sun and a 20 knot west wind over a 30 foot high power line. (There was no wire strike). The aircraft came to rest about 1/4 mile south of the west end of Skyotee. There was a post post impact fire. The aircraft was destroyed. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MARCH 7, 2003, AT 1500 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172L, N19770, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN NEAR ROSAMOND, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY KERN CHARTER SERVICE, INC., AND RENTED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED IN THE POSTIMPACT FIRE. THE PILOT AND A PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED BAKERSFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (L45), BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1400, WITH AN EN ROUTE STOP AT SKYOTEE AIRPORT (CL74), ROSAMOND. THE FLIGHT'S DESTINATION WAS THE LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (IFP), BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES IN THE AREA, THEY HEARD THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF, AND THEN A LOUD "BANG." THEY PROCEEDED TO THE CRASH SITE AND ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST THE OCCUPANTS; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FIRE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET NEAR THE AIRPLANE. SKYOTEE RANCH AIRPORT IS A PRIVATE DIRT AIRSTRIP WITH POWER LINES LOCATED ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED 1/4 MILE SOUTHWEST FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY IN AN ALFALFA FIELD. THE SURROUNDING AREA IS A FARMING COMMUNITY. THE FIRST OBSERVED POINT OF CONTACT (IPI) CONTAINED WHITE LENS FRAGMENTS AND A PORTION OF THE RIGHT AILERON. ADJACENT TO THE AILERON WAS RED LENS FRAGMENTS. ABOUT 35 FEET FROM THE IPI WAS A SMALL HOLE WITH PROPELLER BLADE STRIKES ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE HOLE WAS AN IMPRESSION IN THE GROUND THE LENGTH OF A WING. AT THE END OF THE IMPRESSION WERE GREEN LENS FRAGMENTS. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP, 140 FEET FROM THE IPI. THE EMPENNAGE CAME TO REST ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. THE COCKPIT AND ENGINE CAME TO REST ON AN EASTERLY HEADING. THE LEFT WING CAME TO REST NEXT TO THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE. THE RIGHT WING CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN NEAR THE TAIL. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN WAS CONDUCTED AT AIRCRAFT RECOVERY SERVICES IN LITTLEROCK, CALIFORNIA, ON MARCH 9, 2003. THE POSTIMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORY CASE. THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HEAVY SOOTING. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE. (-23) AT 1455 PST ON FRIDAY 03/07/03, GARRICK BALLANTINE, ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A CESSNA 172L, N19770, DEPARTED SKYOTEE (CL74) A 2600 FOOT LON G DIRT (SAND AND SEMI-ROUGH) RUNWAY 25 FOR A VFR FLIGHT TO IFP (LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD CITY AZ). THE TAKE OFF WAS INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN AND A 20 KNOT WEST WIND OVER A 30 FOOT HIGH POWER LINE. (THERE WAS NO WIRE STRIKE). THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF THE WEST END OF SKYOTEE. THERE WAS A POST POST IMPACT FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
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 N19770 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.