What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft took off from Montgomery Field (myf) heading for torrance (toa) with 4 souls on board. The take off from runway 28R was normal, full power ascent 95 knots with about 45 gallons of fuel.
Approximately 1.5 miles west of airport at about 700 feet AGL (1100MSL), aircraft experienced a sudden and complete engine failure followed by a "claking "sound. This was verified by eyewitness reports. The pilot pitched for airspeed and executed a steep 180 degree turn to the right. During the turn the pilot executed the emergency cheklist.
Emergency flow was finished at completion 180 turn, but no engine power. Prop was moved to slow to extend the glide performance and airspeed was increased to 110KTS. Insufficient altitude to make the field. The crash site was selected as it was within range and relatively free of obstructions. The gear was extended, flaps were not selected, stall warning was sounding during manuevers. Field was made 1/3 to 1/2 of its lenght. Heavy braking was applied but the aircraft overran the field and collided with a fence and a tree and coming to rest against the back of the house. Upon collision and immediate post crash fire initiated with smoke filling the cabin. The pilot attempted to open the left side emergency exit but the aircraft was buckled in this location. The door was not passable. The pilot climbed over the seats into the back and did observe one passenger stuck halfway in one of the aft windows. The pilot attempted to open the rear emergency door but it was blocked. Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke in the cockpit the pilot shoved one of the passengers out through the small broken window and followed closely behind her. The aircraft immediately was consumed by fire. Local witnesses were immediately on the scene and any further rescue attempts in the airplane were unsucessful. The fire department was on the scene in less than 3 minutes.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM MONTGOMERY FIELD (MYF) HEADING FOR TORRANCE (TOA) WITH 4 SOULS ON BOARD. THE TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 28R WAS NORMAL, FULL POWER ASCENT 95 KNOTS WITH ABOUT 45 GALLONS OF FUEL.
APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES WEST OF AIRPORT AT ABOUT 700 FEET AGL (1100MSL), AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A "CLAKING "SOUND. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY EYEWITNESS REPORTS. THE PILOT PITCHED FOR AIRSPEED AND EXECUTED A STEEP 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT. DURING THE TURN THE PILOT EXECUTED THE EMERGENCY CHEKLIST.
EMERGENCY FLOW WAS FINISHED AT COMPLETION 180 TURN, BUT NO ENGINE POWER. PROP WAS MOVED TO SLOW TO EXTEND THE GLIDE PERFORMANCE AND AIRSPEED WAS INCREASED TO 110KTS. INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE FIELD. THE CRASH SITE WAS SELECTED AS IT WAS WITHIN RANGE AND RELATIVELY FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED, FLAPS WERE NOT SELECTED, STALL WARNING WAS SOUNDING DURING MANUEVERS. FIELD WAS MADE 1/3 TO 1/2 OF ITS LENGHT. HEAVY BRAKING WAS APPLIED BUT THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A TREE AND COMING TO REST AGAINST THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. UPON COLLISION AND IMMEDIATE POST CRASH FIRE INITIATED WITH SMOKE FILLING THE CABIN. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE LEFT SIDE EMERGENCY EXIT BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BUCKLED IN THIS LOCATION. THE DOOR WAS NOT PASSABLE. THE PILOT CLIMBED OVER THE SEATS INTO THE BACK AND DID OBSERVE ONE PASSENGER STUCK HALFWAY IN ONE OF THE AFT WINDOWS. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE REAR EMERGENCY DOOR BUT IT WAS BLOCKED. DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT THE PILOT SHOVED ONE OF THE PASSENGERS OUT THROUGH THE SMALL BROKEN WINDOW AND FOLLOWED CLOSELY BEHIND HER. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. LOCAL WITNESSES WERE IMMEDIATELY ON THE SCENE AND ANY FURTHER RESCUE ATTEMPTS IN THE AIRPLANE WERE UNSUCESSFUL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ON THE SCENE IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.