What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 18, 2014, at approximately 18:16 hours PDT the san bernardino county sheriff?s department (dba Rancho cucamonga police department) contacted the FAA operations center via telephone and reported a single engine airplane crashed in Rancho cucamonga, California in on open graded dirt field under unknown circumstances. The san bernardino county sheriff?s department reported the pilot, the single occupant of the aircraft, was assisted out of the aircraft, and was transferred to arrowhead regional medical center in colton, California with serious injuries.
History of flight
On July 18, 2014, about 1810 pacific daylight time, a luscumbe 8 a, N77942, collided with terrain during an off airport forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight shortly after takeoff from cable airport (ccb) upland, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. The private pilot sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact forces. The personal / pleasure flight departed cable airport at approximately 18:00 hours for a local flight returning to cable airport, upland, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witnesses stated they observed the Luscombe (N77942) in cruise flight near the area of haven avenue and almond avenue in Rancho cucamonga, California, the Luscombe?s engine quit, the pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane?s propeller was stopped in a horizontal position as the pilot attempted to execute an unscheduled landing in a graded dirt lot in the 10800 block of almond avenue, in Rancho cucamonga, California . The pilot avoided homes and power lines as he turned toward the open field. The airplane hit the ground hard, and immediately stopped. Fuel leaked from both wings of the aircraft. The airplane came to rest with substantial damage.
The aircraft was recovered at the request of the NTSB on July 19, 2014, at approximately 08:30 hours local time and transported to phoenix, Arizona. The NTSB plans to complete an engine teardown at an unscheduled time to determine the cause of the power loss reported during the flight. The pilot sustained serious injuries and is still in the hospital. A pilot interview is planned but cannot be completed due to his medical condition at this time.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 18, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:16 HOURS PDT THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT (DBA RANCHO CUCAMONGA POLICE DEPARTMENT) CONTACTED THE FAA OPERATIONS CENTER VIA TELEPHONE AND REPORTED A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA IN ON OPEN GRADED DIRT FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE PILOT, THE SINGLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS ASSISTED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN COLTON, CALIFORNIA WITH SERIOUS INJURIES.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
ON JULY 18, 2014, ABOUT 1810 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A LUSCUMBE 8 A, N77942, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM CABLE AIRPORT (CCB) UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT FORCES. THE PERSONAL / PLEASURE FLIGHT DEPARTED CABLE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 18:00 HOURS FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT RETURNING TO CABLE AIRPORT, UPLAND, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE LUSCOMBE (N77942) IN CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR THE AREA OF HAVEN AVENUE AND ALMOND AVENUE IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, THE LUSCOMBE?S ENGINE QUIT, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE?S PROPELLER WAS STOPPED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE AN UNSCHEDULED LANDING IN A GRADED DIRT LOT IN THE 10800 BLOCK OF ALMOND AVENUE, IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA . THE PILOT AVOIDED HOMES AND POWER LINES AS HE TURNED TOWARD THE OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND HARD, AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. FUEL LEAKED FROM BOTH WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AT THE REQUEST OF THE NTSB ON JULY 19, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:30 HOURS LOCAL TIME AND TRANSPORTED TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA. THE NTSB PLANS TO COMPLETE AN ENGINE TEARDOWN AT AN UNSCHEDULED TIME TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS REPORTED DURING THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL. A PILOT INTERVIEW IS PLANNED BUT CANNOT BE COMPLETED DUE TO HIS MEDICAL CONDITION AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.