What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N988RH was being vectored for a VFR practice approach to Riverside Municipal (kral) ILS 9 following holding at the pdz VOR. After receiving a final vector from the socal controller of 350 degrees to intercept the localizer, the pilot reported a rough engine and need to land at Riverside.
The controller provided kral's location and asked the pilot if he had kral in sight. The pilot acknowledged and proceeded to kral. The controller advised N988RH'S pilot that he could land on the runway of his discretion. The pilot responded that he wanted to land into the wind. The controller replied that his landing runway was at his discretion and requested the number of people onboard N988RH. The pilot responded that he was the only person onboard N988RH and restated that he was going to land into the wind.
The controller reported to N988RH that kral winds were 280 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 18 knots and cleared the pilot to land runway 27. The controller informed kral tower that an aircraft with engine problems was inbound and coordinated for N988RH to land at kral.
After receiving the kral winds and landing clearance, the pilot reported that he was not going to make it. The controller was unable to contact N988RH and called kral tower to see if they had visual contact with N988RH. Kral tower did not see N988RH until after it impacted the ground.
N988RH was destroyed when it impacted a power pole (with its right wing and ruddervator) and ground during a forced landing following a loss of engine power .36 NM south of the Riverside Municipal Airport (kral). The private pilot, who was one of the registered owners and the sole aircraft occupant, was fatally injured.
N988RH'S main wreckage (left wing, engine, left ruddervator, and a downed street light pole) were in a residential backyard 81 feet from the impacted power pole. There were no injuries to people on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
N988RH WAS BEING VECTORED FOR A VFR PRACTICE APPROACH TO RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL (KRAL) ILS 9 FOLLOWING HOLDING AT THE PDZ VOR. AFTER RECEIVING A FINAL VECTOR FROM THE SOCAL CONTROLLER OF 350 DEGREES TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER, THE PILOT REPORTED A ROUGH ENGINE AND NEED TO LAND AT RIVERSIDE.
THE CONTROLLER PROVIDED KRAL'S LOCATION AND ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD KRAL IN SIGHT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROCEEDED TO KRAL. THE CONTROLLER ADVISED N988RH'S PILOT THAT HE COULD LAND ON THE RUNWAY OF HIS DISCRETION. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WANTED TO LAND INTO THE WIND. THE CONTROLLER REPLIED THAT HIS LANDING RUNWAY WAS AT HIS DISCRETION AND REQUESTED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ONBOARD N988RH. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD N988RH AND RESTATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO LAND INTO THE WIND.
THE CONTROLLER REPORTED TO N988RH THAT KRAL WINDS WERE 280 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS GUSTING TO 18 KNOTS AND CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND RUNWAY 27. THE CONTROLLER INFORMED KRAL TOWER THAT AN AIRCRAFT WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS WAS INBOUND AND COORDINATED FOR N988RH TO LAND AT KRAL.
AFTER RECEIVING THE KRAL WINDS AND LANDING CLEARANCE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. THE CONTROLLER WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT N988RH AND CALLED KRAL TOWER TO SEE IF THEY HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH N988RH. KRAL TOWER DID NOT SEE N988RH UNTIL AFTER IT IMPACTED THE GROUND.
N988RH WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED A POWER POLE (WITH ITS RIGHT WING AND RUDDERVATOR) AND GROUND DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER .36 NM SOUTH OF THE RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KRAL). THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS ONE OF THE REGISTERED OWNERS AND THE SOLE AIRCRAFT OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED.
N988RH'S MAIN WRECKAGE (LEFT WING, ENGINE, LEFT RUDDERVATOR, AND A DOWNED STREET LIGHT POLE) WERE IN A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD 81 FEET FROM THE IMPACTED POWER POLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.