OpenAirDocs.org

20170427004489A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Nanchang China YAK-18A · Keene, CA · April 27, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 27, 2017 · 14:45 local
Place
Keene, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N192NG
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR17FA091
Reported as
Nanchang China YAK-18A
Reported engine
Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
500 total
N192NGRegistration cancelled Aug 2, 2020 · Nanchang China YAK-18AS/N 3051217 · Built 1975Airframe modelNanchang China YAK-18AEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While enroute from apv to ptv in a four plane formation flight, nearing tehachapi, CA, at approximately 7500? MSL, maintaining separation from an overcast to broken cloud layer throughout the area, the flight began a shallow descent. During the descent the lead pilot lost sight of the accident aircraft (who was positioned in the number two position) and asked the accident pilot if he was okay. The accident pilot responded to the lead pilot that he was okay.

A short time later, another pilot in the formation flight, observed the accident aircraft fly into a cloud layer while in a wings level, slightly nose low attitude. All attempts to reestablish visual and radio contact with the accident aircraft were unsuccessful.

A witness in a vehicle observed the aircraft exiting the cloud layer in an almost vertical attitude and lost sight of it behind a mountain. The aircraft impacted hilly terrain, approximately 2 miles northeast of Keene, CA. All major structural components of the aircraft were located within 100 feet of the main wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ENROUTE FROM APV TO PTV IN A FOUR PLANE FORMATION FLIGHT, NEARING TEHACHAPI, CA, AT APPROXIMATELY 7500? MSL, MAINTAINING SEPARATION FROM AN OVERCAST TO BROKEN CLOUD LAYER THROUGHOUT THE AREA, THE FLIGHT BEGAN A SHALLOW DESCENT. DURING THE DESCENT THE LEAD PILOT LOST SIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT (WHO WAS POSITIONED IN THE NUMBER TWO POSITION) AND ASKED THE ACCIDENT PILOT IF HE WAS OKAY. THE ACCIDENT PILOT RESPONDED TO THE LEAD PILOT THAT HE WAS OKAY.

A SHORT TIME LATER, ANOTHER PILOT IN THE FORMATION FLIGHT, OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FLY INTO A CLOUD LAYER WHILE IN A WINGS LEVEL, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO REESTABLISH VISUAL AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.

A WITNESS IN A VEHICLE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT EXITING THE CLOUD LAYER IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND LOST SIGHT OF IT BEHIND A MOUNTAIN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED HILLY TERRAIN, APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF KEENE, CA. ALL MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED WITHIN 100 FEET OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR17FA091Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportKeene, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control following a descent into clouds.Apr 27, 2017 · Destroyed