What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FAA radar data indicates the aircraft departing Half Moon Bay Airport (haf) from runway 30 on 10/15/2012 at or about 05:13 PDT, 20:13 UTC. The radar plot indicates the aircraft departing to the north at 05:13:47 with a reported altitude of 600 feet. The aircraft continued its departure to the west and then continued its path toward a south westerly heading of 245 degrees, reaching a maximum altitude of 1,100 feet at 05:14:21 PDT. The aircraft then begins a left turn decent back toward the haf airport with a final radar plotted bearing of 158 degrees, 700 feet reported altitude, and 49 knot airspeed. The aircraft wreckage was later discovered by a san mateo county parks search and rescue team on 10/16/2012, at approximately 11:30 PDT. The aircraft had impacted midway on a westerly facing valley area of the pillar point bluff. Pillar point bluff runs parallel to and adjacent to the left hand side of the haf airport. The bluff elevation is approximately 170 feet at its maximum height above sea level. Haf surveyed field elevation is 66 feet. The aircraft wreckage site was estimated to be located within 2,000 feet left of the haf airport runway center line at an approximate coordinate of 37privacy data omitted 30' 22" w. the elevation of the wreckage site was approximately 90 to 120 feet above sea level and 80 feet below the bluff's peak. The impact debris field covered an area of approximately 140 feet. Vegetation scarring suggests that the aircraft was under full power and flying uphill in a left hand turn just prior to the left hand wing striking a slope berm. An impact crater was found at a second upper slope berm with remnants of propeller blades and cabin windows and right hand wing tip components. The remainder of the wreckage appears to have traveled further up the slope, flipping up and over a stand of approximately 10 foot high shrubs or trees, and then traveling further up slope and landing into and onto low standing trees. The aircraft wreckage was then destroyed by fire. At the time of aircraft departure, the ground observation weather, as reported by haf METAR was winds from 340 degrees @ 7 knots, visibility 1 ¾ statue miles, overcast ceiling 300 feet and mist, altimeter 30.08, temperature & dew point both @ 55 degrees fahrenheit. National weather service reported winds from 350 degrees @ 10 mph, clouds overcast ceiling @ 300 feet, 1.8 statue mile visibility, dew point and temperature @ 55 degrees fahrenheit, altimeter 30.08. Noaa forecast sunrise at 07:18 PDT. The deceased pilot's wife informed law enforcement that she had observed fog at the airport the day of her husbands aircraft departure. The united states airforce, pillar point tracking station, also reported fog.
As the FAA filed it
FAA RADAR DATA INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING HALF MOON BAY AIRPORT (HAF) FROM RUNWAY 30 ON 10/15/2012 AT OR ABOUT 05:13 PDT, 20:13 UTC. THE RADAR PLOT INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING TO THE NORTH AT 05:13:47 WITH A REPORTED ALTITUDE OF 600 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS DEPARTURE TO THE WEST AND THEN CONTINUED ITS PATH TOWARD A SOUTH WESTERLY HEADING OF 245 DEGREES, REACHING A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 1,100 FEET AT 05:14:21 PDT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGINS A LEFT TURN DECENT BACK TOWARD THE HAF AIRPORT WITH A FINAL RADAR PLOTTED BEARING OF 158 DEGREES, 700 FEET REPORTED ALTITUDE, AND 49 KNOT AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LATER DISCOVERED BY A SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM ON 10/16/2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 PDT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED MIDWAY ON A WESTERLY FACING VALLEY AREA OF THE PILLAR POINT BLUFF. PILLAR POINT BLUFF RUNS PARALLEL TO AND ADJACENT TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE HAF AIRPORT. THE BLUFF ELEVATION IS APPROXIMATELY 170 FEET AT ITS MAXIMUM HEIGHT ABOVE SEA LEVEL. HAF SURVEYED FIELD ELEVATION IS 66 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE SITE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE LOCATED WITHIN 2,000 FEET LEFT OF THE HAF AIRPORT RUNWAY CENTER LINE AT AN APPROXIMATE COORDINATE OF 37^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ 30' 22" W. THE ELEVATION OF THE WRECKAGE SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90 TO 120 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND 80 FEET BELOW THE BLUFF'S PEAK. THE IMPACT DEBRIS FIELD COVERED AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 140 FEET. VEGETATION SCARRING SUGGESTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER FULL POWER AND FLYING UPHILL IN A LEFT HAND TURN JUST PRIOR TO THE LEFT HAND WING STRIKING A SLOPE BERM. AN IMPACT CRATER WAS FOUND AT A SECOND UPPER SLOPE BERM WITH REMNANTS OF PROPELLER BLADES AND CABIN WINDOWS AND RIGHT HAND WING TIP COMPONENTS. THE REMAINDER OF THE WRECKAGE APPEARS TO HAVE TRAVELED FURTHER UP THE SLOPE, FLIPPING UP AND OVER A STAND OF APPROXIMATELY 10 FOOT HIGH SHRUBS OR TREES, AND THEN TRAVELING FURTHER UP SLOPE AND LANDING INTO AND ONTO LOW STANDING TREES. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS THEN DESTROYED BY FIRE.AT THE TIME OF AIRCRAFT DEPARTURE, THE GROUND OBSERVATION WEATHER, AS REPORTED BY HAF METAR WAS WINDS FROM 340 DEGREES @ 7 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 1 ¾ STATUE MILES, OVERCAST CEILING 300 FEET AND MIST, ALTIMETER 30.08, TEMPERATURE & DEW POINT BOTH @ 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED WINDS FROM 350 DEGREES @ 10 MPH, CLOUDS OVERCAST CEILING @ 300 FEET, 1.8 STATUE MILE VISIBILITY, DEW POINT AND TEMPERATURE @ 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, ALTIMETER 30.08. NOAA FORECAST SUNRISE AT 07:18 PDT. THE DECEASED PILOT'S WIFE INFORMED LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT SHE HAD OBSERVED FOG AT THE AIRPORT THE DAY OF HER HUSBANDS AIRCRAFT DEPARTURE. THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE, PILLAR POINT TRACKING STATION, ALSO REPORTED FOG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.