20040131002809A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr TAILWINDW8 · San Pedro, CA · January 31, 2004

Date: January 31, 2004
Place: San Pedro, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N192S
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA110
Reported as: Amtr TAILWINDW8
Reported engine: Lycoming O290*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 25,682 total63 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N192SRegistration cancelled Jun 15, 2005 · Tailwind W-8S/N 001WS · Built 1969 Airframe modelTailwind W-8 Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Witnesses observed the aircraft fly into the water in more or less controlled flight. They stated that the aircraft flew into the water at a shallow angle in what appeared to be controlled flight. The wreckage sank in about 50 feet of water. It was recovered the next day. The pilot's body was retrieved and sent to the los angeles county morgue for an autopsy. Results are pending. The pilot was a retired airline pilot with over 25,000 hours of flight time. The weather at the time was VFR so weather is not believed to have caused the accident. Examination of the wreckage failed to establish any mechanical faults such as loss of power or problems with the flight controls.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLY INTO THE WATER IN MORE OR LESS CONTROLLED FLIGHT. THEY STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO THE WATER AT A SHALLOW ANGLE IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE CONTROLLED FLIGHT. THE WRECKAGE SANK IN ABOUT 50 FEET OF WATER. IT WAS RECOVERED THE NEXT DAY. THE PILOT'S BODY WAS RETRIEVED AND SENT TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MORGUE FOR AN AUTOPSY. RESULTS ARE PENDING. THE PILOT WAS A RETIRED AIRLINE PILOT WITH OVER 25,000 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS VFR SO WEATHER IS NOT BELIEVED TO HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FAILED TO ESTABLISH ANY MECHANICAL FAULTS SUCH AS LOSS OF POWER OR PROBLEMS WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04LA110Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportSan Pedro, CAThe pilot's incapacitation during descent, which resulted in a loss of control and an in-flight collision with water.Jan 31, 2004 · Destroyed