20120314004849A

03/14/2012- AIRCRAFT N364AB DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT 1956 HRS PDT IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA NEAR PANOCHE, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS UTILIZING FLIGHT FOLLOWING (VFR) BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BUT HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLAN. ATC COMMUNICATED WITH THE PILOT AND SAID HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PICK UP HIS TARGET AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE.03/15/2012-THE NEXT MORNING AN ASSOCIATE OF THE PILOT CALLED THE SJC FSDO INFORMING THE OPERATIONS INSPECTOR THAT THE PILOT HAD A GPS LOCATOR. THE ASSOCIATE OF THE PILOT GAVE THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES OF THELAST REPORT TO OPERATIONS INSPECTOR, JEFFERY EBEY. INSPECTOR EBEY NOTIFIED THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE MISSING AIRCRAFT.03/17/2012-THE INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (IIC) OF THE INVESTIGATION WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY THE SAN BENITO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE SAN BENITO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CALLED AND ASKED TO REMOVE THE REMAINS OF THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BURNED AND VERY LITTLE HUMAN REMAINS WERE PRESENT. AFTER THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM PHOTOGRAPHED THE WRECKAGE AND ACCIDENT SCENE. THE HUMAN REMAINS WERE REMOVED BY THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM AND THEY VACATED THE AREA DUE TO DARKNESS AND WEATHER. IIC ARRIVED AT THE SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 HRS PDT AND MET WITH INSPECTOR ROBINSON OF THE SJC FSDO. WE CONTACTED THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR, MICHAEL HUHN, AND AGREED TO RETURN THE NEXT MORNING FOR THE INVESTIGATION. 1/18/2012-IIC, NTSB REACHED THE ACCIDENT SITE AROUND 0900 HRS PDT THE NEXT MORNING. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE 2000 FOOT LEVEL OF A RIDGE IN A RAVINE WITH RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A SHALLOW ANGLE, SNAPPED THE LEFT WING AND MAIN LANDING GEAR ON THE BASE OF A SHORT BUSH. A GROUND SCAR WAS PRESENT WHERE THE RIGHT WING HAD IMPACTED THE HILLSIDE AND THEN CONTINUED WITH THE FUSELAGE SECTION UP THE SLOPE A FEW MORE FEET. THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT FATALLY INJURED. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS SCATTERED UP SLOPE IN A FAN PATTERN, 90 DEGREES TO EACH SIDE OF THE CRASH. BURN MARKS WERE PRESENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HILL. THE IN-BOARD RIGHT WING SECTION WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET UP HILL FROM THE CRASH ON A HEADING FROM THE WRECK OF APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES. THERE WERE TWO ELTS ONN BOARD BUT NEITHER HAD BEEN ACTIVATED BY THE CRASH. ONE OF THE ELT'S WAS DISCOVERED IN THE OFF POSITION. THE ENGINE WAS NOT COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MAIN FUSELAGE WAS BURNED TO THE MELTING POINT. NTSB REMOVED THE WRECKAGE FOR INVESTIGATION. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THE PILOT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS CURRENT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. RADAR TRACKS AND RECORDINGS OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT INDICATE THAT HE WAS ON A DESCENT TO HOLLISTER, CA FROM 12500 FEET. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 5100 FEET APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM THE CRASH SITE. THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE PILOT WAS AT THE TIME ATC LOST RADAR CONTACT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONTROLLER'S INSTRUCTIONS, AND INDICATED HE WOULD LET ATC KNOW WHEN HE HAD THE HOLLISTER AREA IN SIGHT. ATC CONTACTED THE PILOT TO LET HIM KNOW THE NORCAL ATRC COULD BE REACHED IN ABOUT 10 MILES, AND THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQUENCY. THIS WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM N364AB.THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE SITE ARE UNKNOWN, AT THE TIME OF THE LAST TRANSMISSION TO ATC IT WAS OFFICIALLY NIGHT AT 1956 HRS PDT. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM THE LAST RADAR CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SENT TO NATIONAL AVIATION LOGISTICS, LLC, 4110 AVIATION DRIVE, MADERA, CA WHERE A DETAILED EXAMINATION WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB.