What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 13, 2013 about 1130 pacific daylight time (PDT), N9607S, a Champion 7GCAA aircraft, crashed near Paradise, CA, during an aerial pipeline survey for pacific gas & electric (pg&e) company. The aerial observation flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft departed the nut tree airport (vcb), vacaville, CA, at about 0850 (PDT), and was destined for chico municipal airport (cic), chico, CA.
According to the national transportation safety board (NTSB), a witness, who was an observer in a fire lookout tower at sawmill peak located nine miles northeast of the accident site, reported that a high-wing aircraft made approximately three large right circles, and then departed to the south. The witness stated that he did not see the airplane descend or see the accident sequence.
The wreckage trail indicated the aircraft struck a rocky surface at about 45° attitude marking the first point of contact approximately 10 feet uphill from the wreckage, which was mostly consumed by post-impact fire. Roughly 21 acres of brush-covered land surrounding the wreckage was burned. The pilotprivacy data omitted of the aircraft and a passenger sustained fatal injuries on impact.
Due to the post-impact fire, it could not be conclusively determined whether any airframe failure, system malfunction, or pilot issues contributed to the accident.
The aircraft wreckage was relocated to an approved tear down facility for further examination. A wing-strut- mounted camera was recovered from the accident site, and it is being analyzed for supportive clues.
This report may be amended with new evidence.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 13, 2013 ABOUT 1130 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT), N9607S, A CHAMPION 7GCAA AIRCRAFT, CRASHED NEAR PARADISE, CA, DURING AN AERIAL PIPELINE SURVEY FOR PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC (PG&E) COMPANY. THE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE NUT TREE AIRPORT (VCB), VACAVILLE, CA, AT ABOUT 0850 (PDT), AND WAS DESTINED FOR CHICO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CIC), CHICO, CA.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB), A WITNESS, WHO WAS AN OBSERVER IN A FIRE LOOKOUT TOWER AT SAWMILL PEAK LOCATED NINE MILES NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THAT A HIGH-WING AIRCRAFT MADE APPROXIMATELY THREE LARGE RIGHT CIRCLES, AND THEN DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE DESCEND OR SEE THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.
THE WRECKAGE TRAIL INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ROCKY SURFACE AT ABOUT 45° ATTITUDE MARKING THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET UPHILL FROM THE WRECKAGE, WHICH WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY POST-IMPACT FIRE. ROUGHLY 21 ACRES OF BRUSH-COVERED LAND SURROUNDING THE WRECKAGE WAS BURNED. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES ON IMPACT.
DUE TO THE POST-IMPACT FIRE, IT COULD NOT BE CONCLUSIVELY DETERMINED WHETHER ANY AIRFRAME FAILURE, SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, OR PILOT ISSUES CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS RELOCATED TO AN APPROVED TEAR DOWN FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. A WING-STRUT- MOUNTED CAMERA WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND IT IS BEING ANALYZED FOR SUPPORTIVE CLUES.
THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED WITH NEW EVIDENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.