20040822021841A

(-23) ON AUGUST 22, 2004, ABOUT 1729 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA CITABRIA 7ECA, N53879, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR WITH A POLLARD & HUNTLEY THORP T-18, N7818T, NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA. THE CITABRIA AND THORP WERE OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR EITHER AIRPLANE. THE PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT OF THE CITABRIA DEPARTED SANTA PAULA AIRPORT (SZP), SANTA PAULA, CALIFORNIA. THE FIRST IDENTIFIED RADAR TARGET FOR THE CITABRIA WAS ABOUT 15 NM (NAUTICAL MILES) NORTH OF THE COLLISION POINT. THE CITABRIA'S TARGET WAS A PRIMARY RADAR RETURN. NO ALTITUDE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE RADAR DATA. THE CITABRIA'S TARGET RADAR TRACK ILLUSTRATED IT FLYING SOUTH ON THE WEST SIDE OF CALIFORNIA'S HIGHWAY 23 UNTIL IT MET PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. ONCE AT THE SHORELINE THE CITABRIA'S TARGET PASSED IN FRONT OF THE THORP'S TARGET, AND CONTINUED SOUTHBOUND UNTIL IT WAS ABOUT 3/4 MILE OFFSHORE. THE CITABRIA'S RADAR TARGET EXHIBITED A LEFT 180-DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE NORTH. DURING THIS TIME THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO TARGETS WAS ABOUT 0.5 NM. THE RADAR TRACK SHOWED THE THORP'S TARGET CONTINUING EASTBOUND ALONG THE COAST IN A SLIGHT CLIMB, AND THE CITIBRIA'S TARGET NORTHBOUND UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WITH THE THORP'S TARGET STOPPED AT 1529:31, AT A MODE C ATTITUDE OF 2,800 FEET MSL (MEAN SEA LEVEL). THE RADAR TARGET ON THE CITABRIA WAS LOST AT 1730:10. THE CRASH SITE OF THE CITABRIA, N53879, S/N: 1136-76, WAS LOCATED AT EL MATADOR STATE BEACH. THE CITABRIA'S WRECKAGE, GPS COORDINATES N 34 DEGREES 02.271', W118 DEGREES 52.499', WAS FOUND RESTING UPRIGHT ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FACING EAST ON THE BEACH. THE POWERPLANT WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET WEST, RESTING IN THE SURF. AS A RESULT OF THE MID-AIR COLLISION THE CITABRIA WAS DESTROYED. THE UPPER STRUCTURE ABOVE THE PILOT WAS TORN AWAY, THE ENTIRE FIREWALL FORWARD WAS NON-EXISTENT, THE AFT FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ESSENTIALLY BUCKLED AND BOTH WINGS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE CITABRIA'S ACTUAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS OFF SHORE. THIS IS COLLABORATED BY WITNESSES AND AN ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE CITABRIA IMPACTED THE WATER IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN POSITION WITH THE LEFT WING AND INBOARD FUEL TANK TRAILING BUT ATTACHED BY ONE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLE. AFTER IMPACT, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. THESE SAME WITNESSES PULLED THE AIRCRAFT ON SHORE AND UPRIGHTED THE FUSELAGE THEN UNBUCKLED AND REMOVED THE PILOT MR. JOHN ROSATTO. MR. ROSATTO EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE HEAD TRAUMA AND SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE CITABRIA WAS OWNED BY CP AVIATION, 830 E. SANTA MARIA STREET, SANTA PAULA, CA 93060. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT WAS A THORP T-18, N7618T, S/N: HPW-1, SHOWN AS A REPORTED SALE, P.O. BOX 1488, TORRACE, CA 90505 WHICH WAS SOLD TO JOHN ZASADNY. THE PRIVATE PILOT, JOHN ZASADNY, AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE THORP SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. AS A RESULT OF THE MID-AIR COLLISION THE THORP T-18 WAS DESTROYED. THE PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT OF THE THORP DEPARTED ZAMPERINI FIELD (TOA), TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 PST. THE THORP T-18 DEPARTED TORRANCE; ABOUT 1700 PST, A SECONDARY 1200 (VFR) BEACON CODE WAS AT A MODE C REPORTED ATTITUDE OF 400 FEET MSL (MEAN SEA LEVEL) OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND CLIMBING. THE TARGET FLEW ALONG THE COASTLINE UNTIL ABOUT 8 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE TARGET MADE A RIGHT 180-DEGREE TURN, AND STARTED TO TRACK BACK ALONG THE COASTLINE: ABOUT 2 NM NORTHWEST OF THE COLLISION POINT, THE TARGET'S MODE C REPORTED AN ALTITUDE OF 2,400 FEET MSL. THIS TARGET'S MODE C ALTITUDE REPORT CONTINUED TO INCREASE UNTIL THE RADAR TRACK STOPPED. THE LAST RADAR HIT ON THE TARGET WAS AT 1729.37 PST, AT AN ATTITUDE OF 2,900 FEET MSL. THE THORP IMPACTED THE WATER ABOUT 150 YARDS EAST OF THE CITABRIA AND SANK IN ABOUT 20 FEET OF WATER. THE PRIMARY WRECKAGE OF THE THORP WAS AT N34 DEGREES 02.000' AND 118 DEGREES 52.000'. THE CLOSEST OFFICIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION WAS POINT MUGU NAVAL AIR STATION, POINT MUGU, CALIFORNIA (NTD), WHICH WAS 13 NM NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ELEVATION OF THE WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION WAS 12 FEET MSL. AN AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) FOR NTD WAS ISSUED AT 1755 PST. IT STATED: WINDS FROM 250 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 7 MILES; SKIES 20,000 FEET BROKEN; TEMPERATURE 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; DEW POINT 66 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; AND ALTIMETER 29.88 IN HG.