What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed gillespie field (see) with his wife and two dogs onboard prior to the control tower operating hours. Shortly after departure, the aircraft crashed into an industrial window stock yard, approximately 1600 feet west of the departure end of 27R, killing both occupants and one dog.
Multiple videos and witness statements indicate that the aircraft was maneuvering in and out of the overcast layer. The eye-witness videos show the aircraft climbing into the cloud layer after takeoff. The aircraft reappears descending out of the cloud layer in an unusual attitude. The aircraft banks left, then enters a pitch-up attitude before disappearing from view prior to impact.
The aircraft wreckage indicated a nose low, high angle of impact, which is consistent with two witness statements that the aircraft impacted left wing and nose down. Propeller damage was consistent with that of powered flight. There was no evidence on scene or with NTSB initial reports of a power unit failure.
The weather at the time of departure was reporting 3SM visibility with mist and a ceiling of 500 feet overcast.
The pilot filed a VFR flight plan for the morning of the accident from see to elko, NV (eko) and received a standard weather briefing. The route of flight was not recommended for VFR due to IMC conditions in and around san diego. The pilot indicated 6 hours and 15 minutes of fuel on board on the flight plan with an estimated time en route of 4 hours and 49 minutes.
A review of the airman's profile and pilot logbook indicate that he received his instrument rating in September of 2016. The logbook indicates that the airman met recent instrument flight experience as per 61.57(c). The airman had logged a total of 62.6 hours of simulated instrument experience, with November 27, 2017 as the most recent simulated instrument flight. The airman had one entry of actual instrument experience of 1.1 hours, which was with a CFII onboard.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD (SEE) WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO DOGS ONBOARD PRIOR TO THE CONTROL TOWER OPERATING HOURS. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO AN INDUSTRIAL WINDOW STOCK YARD, APPROXIMATELY 1600 FEET WEST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF 27R, KILLING BOTH OCCUPANTS AND ONE DOG.
MULTIPLE VIDEOS AND WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERING IN AND OUT OF THE OVERCAST LAYER. THE EYE-WITNESS VIDEOS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBING INTO THE CLOUD LAYER AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT REAPPEARS DESCENDING OUT OF THE CLOUD LAYER IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT BANKS LEFT, THEN ENTERS A PITCH-UP ATTITUDE BEFORE DISAPPEARING FROM VIEW PRIOR TO IMPACT.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE INDICATED A NOSE LOW, HIGH ANGLE OF IMPACT, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH TWO WITNESS STATEMENTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED LEFT WING AND NOSE DOWN. PROPELLER DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF POWERED FLIGHT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE ON SCENE OR WITH NTSB INITIAL REPORTS OF A POWER UNIT FAILURE.
THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS REPORTING 3SM VISIBILITY WITH MIST AND A CEILING OF 500 FEET OVERCAST.
THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT FROM SEE TO ELKO, NV (EKO) AND RECEIVED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR VFR DUE TO IMC CONDITIONS IN AND AROUND SAN DIEGO. THE PILOT INDICATED 6 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES OF FUEL ON BOARD ON THE FLIGHT PLAN WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME EN ROUTE OF 4 HOURS AND 49 MINUTES.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRMAN'S PROFILE AND PILOT LOGBOOK INDICATE THAT HE RECEIVED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016. THE LOGBOOK INDICATES THAT THE AIRMAN MET RECENT INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AS PER 61.57(C). THE AIRMAN HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 62.6 HOURS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, WITH NOVEMBER 27, 2017 AS THE MOST RECENT SIMULATED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT. THE AIRMAN HAD ONE ENTRY OF ACTUAL INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE OF 1.1 HOURS, WHICH WAS WITH A CFII ONBOARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.