20160222006449A

ON 02/22/2016, AT APPROXIMATELY 1334, N201KY, A MOONEY M20J, DEPARTED WHITEMAN AIRPORT, KWHP, PACOIMA, CA, HEADED NORTH. WITHIN THREE MINUTES FROM DEPARTURE, PILOT OF N201KY COMMUNICATED WITH THE FEDERAL CONTRACT TOWER THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT WITH A ROUGH-RUNNING ENGINE. N201KY WAS CLEARED BY THE FCT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, AND WAS GIVEN A LEFT, DOWN-WIND APPROACH. ON THE BASE-TO-FINAL TURN, N201KY REPORTED TO THE FTC THAT HE WAS GOING DOWN.

N201KY LOST ALL POWER ON THE BASE-TO-FINAL TURN, AND WAS LINED UP WITH A RESIDENTIAL STREET. N201KY, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND, STRUCK PARKED CARS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT AIRCRAFT WING TIPS SCRUBBING OFF AIRSPEED, AND SLIDING DOWN THE STREET SPRAYING FUEL, ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STREET. N201KY CAME TO REST TWENTY FEET FROM AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, WITH A LARGE GROUP OF CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE PARKING LOT.

NO ONE ON THE GROUND WAS INJURED, AND THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNHARMED. THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE LONE OCCUPANT OF N201KY, WAS INTERVIEWED, AND PROVIDED A HANDWRITTEN STATEMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASKED TO PRESENT HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE. HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, AND STATED THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WAS AT HIS HOME, IN HIS SAFE.

THE WRECKAGE OF N201KY, WITH FUEL STILL ONBOARD, CLOSE TO THE POSITION OF THE STILL OCCUPIED APARTMENT BUILDING, FULL OF CHILDREN, WAS A CONCERN TO THE FAA IIC. THE NTSB WAS CONTACTED FOR AN ETA OF THE RECOVERY TEAM. THE NTSB CONTACT ON THE EAST COAST STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE EIGHT HOURS FOR THE RECOVERY TEAM TO ARRIVE FROM PHOENIX, AZ. THIS TIMEFRAME WAS NOT FEASIBLE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES WERE UNABLE TO REMAIN ON THE SITE FOR THE EIGHT HOURS IT WOULD TAKE FOR THE NTSB RECOVERY TEAM TO ARRIVE, DUE TO OTHER PUBLIC DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES.

THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY CONTACTING HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THUS, A REQUEST FOR A FUEL TRUCK TO PERFORM DEFUELING SERVICE ON N201KY WAS MADE TO THE WHITEMAN AIRPORT. A FUEL TRUCK WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THIS SERVICE.

WITH NO SUPPORT FROM THE NTSB, A MEETING WAS CALLED BY THE FAA IIC WITH LAPD AND LAFD. THE FIRST CONCERN WAS OPENING A ROUTE OUT OF THE ACCIDENT SITE TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENTS STRANDED BEHIND THE SITE A MEANS TO LEAVE THE SITE IN ORDER TO PICK THEIR CHILDREN UP FROM SCHOOL. THE SECOND CONCERN WAS THE DEFUELING OF N201KY, AND THE REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE AREA TO A SAFE AND SECURE STORAGE LOCATION.

THE LAFD FIRE CAPTAIN RECOMMENDED FILLING THE LEFT WING, WHICH STILL CONTAINED FUEL, WITH WATER TO DISPLACE THE FUMES IN THE TANK, ALLOWING THE HIGH SPEED CUTTING OF THE AIRFRAME SAFER, PREVENTING FUEL IGNITION BY THE SPARKS GENERATED BY THE CUTTING WHEEL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT WING WAS FILLED WITH WATER, AND THE AIRFRAME WAS CUT.

DUE TO THE DARKNESS OF EVENING, AND THE LATE HOUR, PARTIES DISCUSSED AND INITIATED UTILIZING THE LAPD CONTRACT IMPOUND YARD TO STORE THE AIRCRAFT OVERNIGHT. USE OF THE LAPD IMPOUND YARD WAS THE MOST EXPEDIENT METHOD OF CLEARING THE STREET OF THE WRECKAGE, AND SECURING THE AIRCRAFT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. TWO FLATBED TOW TRUCKS FROM THE LAPD YARD ARRIVED TO REMOVE THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THE HIGH LEVEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE LAPD, LAFD, AND THE FAA WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO THIS HIGHLY VOLATILE SITUATION IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF PACOIMA, CA.

AN ENGINE RUN AND TEARDOWN INSPECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB AND THE FAA IIC ON 03/14/2016.