What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/3/2019 at approximately 2138ZULU (1:38PM local) N414RS a Cessna 414A s/n 414A0821 piloted by Mr. Antonio pastini with no other crew or passengers on board departed fullerton airport on rwy 24. Although weather was reported as cloudy and overcast, VFR conditions still prevailed at fullerton airport. Noaa weather balloon data for the area indicated a freezing level of 6500 to 7000 ft with snow down to 6000 ft. after takeoff the pilot made a left downwind departure. An IFR clearance was not filed. After approximately 7 minutes into the flight the aircraft broke apart inflight under IFR conditions and crashed into a neighborhood. The right wing while on fire struck a home located privacy data omittedYorba Linda California, and burst into flames killing 4 people inside. The fuselage minus wings engines and tail surfaces continued through trees and down the hill behind the home and came to rest in the backyard of privacy data omitted with the deceased pilot at approximately 2145ZULU and approximately 9 miles east of fullerton airport.
After the aircraft departed fullerton airport rwy 24 on a VFR departure, radar data shows N414RS squawking 1200, (transponder frequency for VFR) and making a left downwind departure at approximately 2138 zulu. Shortly after the aircraft departs, the tower controller advises the pilot to use caution for weather 4 miles east of fullerton. The pilot acknowledges and thanks the controller for the advisory. Shortly after that the tower approves a frequency change, Mr. Pastini acknowledges this with no other audio received from N414RS. Radar data shows the aircraft climbing eastbound. At about 21:44:23 zulu, radar data shows the aircraft reaching a maximum altitude of 7800 feet and 134 knots. Beginning at 21:44:42 the radar indicates the aircraft airspeed is 209 KTS, 6500 feet and starting a right turn. 21:44:46 zulu the radar shows the aircraft traveling at 227 KTS and at 6300 feet and in a right hand turn. At 21:44:51 zulu radar data shows the aircraft reaching a maximum speed 249 KTS and an altitude of 6000 ft. and in a right hand turn. The last radar information received at 21:44:56 zulu shows an airspeed of 230 KTS and an altitude of 5700 ft. and in a right turn. The type certificate data sheet (tcds) indicates the maximum structural cruising airspeed for this aircraft is 203 knots indicated air speed (KIAS) or 234 miles per hour. The never exceed speed is 237 KIAS or 273 miles per hour. The maximum speed captured by the radar data indicates the aircraft reached 249 KTS at one point.
According to witness statements that only heard the plane, said they heard a plane flying above with normal engine noise, then the engine noise starts to get louder and increase in RPM with several loud explosions followed by another loud explosion when the plane hit the ground. Recorded audio from surveillance video from homes around the accident scene confirms these accounts. Witnesses that saw the airplane and heard it, said they looked up because the ?normal? Engine sounds of a plane flying above turned to loud high RPM engine noise, some saw the airplane emerge from the clouds intact then start to break up while others saw the airplane falling from the sky with pieces coming off and on fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/3/2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 2138ZULU (1:38PM LOCAL) N414RS A CESSNA 414A S/N 414A0821 PILOTED BY MR. ANTONIO PASTINI WITH NO OTHER CREW OR PASSENGERS ON BOARD DEPARTED FULLERTON AIRPORT ON RWY 24. ALTHOUGH WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS CLOUDY AND OVERCAST, VFR CONDITIONS STILL PREVAILED AT FULLERTON AIRPORT. NOAA WEATHER BALLOON DATA FOR THE AREA INDICATED A FREEZING LEVEL OF 6500 TO 7000 FT WITH SNOW DOWN TO 6000 FT. AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT MADE A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE. AN IFR CLEARANCE WAS NOT FILED. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 7 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT BROKE APART INFLIGHT UNDER IFR CONDITIONS AND CRASHED INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD. THE RIGHT WING WHILE ON FIRE STRUCK A HOME LOCATED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^YORBA LINDA CALIFORNIA, AND BURST INTO FLAMES KILLING 4 PEOPLE INSIDE. THE FUSELAGE MINUS WINGS ENGINES AND TAIL SURFACES CONTINUED THROUGH TREES AND DOWN THE HILL BEHIND THE HOME AND CAME TO REST IN THE BACKYARD OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH THE DECEASED PILOT AT APPROXIMATELY 2145ZULU AND APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES EAST OF FULLERTON AIRPORT.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FULLERTON AIRPORT RWY 24 ON A VFR DEPARTURE, RADAR DATA SHOWS N414RS SQUAWKING 1200, (TRANSPONDER FREQUENCY FOR VFR) AND MAKING A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE AT APPROXIMATELY 2138 ZULU. SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTS, THE TOWER CONTROLLER ADVISES THE PILOT TO USE CAUTION FOR WEATHER 4 MILES EAST OF FULLERTON. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGES AND THANKS THE CONTROLLER FOR THE ADVISORY. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE TOWER APPROVES A FREQUENCY CHANGE, MR. PASTINI ACKNOWLEDGES THIS WITH NO OTHER AUDIO RECEIVED FROM N414RS. RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBING EASTBOUND. AT ABOUT 21:44:23 ZULU, RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT REACHING A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 7800 FEET AND 134 KNOTS. BEGINNING AT 21:44:42 THE RADAR INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED IS 209 KTS, 6500 FEET AND STARTING A RIGHT TURN. 21:44:46 ZULU THE RADAR SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELING AT 227 KTS AND AT 6300 FEET AND IN A RIGHT HAND TURN. AT 21:44:51 ZULU RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT REACHING A MAXIMUM SPEED 249 KTS AND AN ALTITUDE OF 6000 FT. AND IN A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE LAST RADAR INFORMATION RECEIVED AT 21:44:56 ZULU SHOWS AN AIRSPEED OF 230 KTS AND AN ALTITUDE OF 5700 FT. AND IN A RIGHT TURN. THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET (TCDS) INDICATES THE MAXIMUM STRUCTURAL CRUISING AIRSPEED FOR THIS AIRCRAFT IS 203 KNOTS INDICATED AIR SPEED (KIAS) OR 234 MILES PER HOUR. THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED IS 237 KIAS OR 273 MILES PER HOUR. THE MAXIMUM SPEED CAPTURED BY THE RADAR DATA INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT REACHED 249 KTS AT ONE POINT.
ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS THAT ONLY HEARD THE PLANE, SAID THEY HEARD A PLANE FLYING ABOVE WITH NORMAL ENGINE NOISE, THEN THE ENGINE NOISE STARTS TO GET LOUDER AND INCREASE IN RPM WITH SEVERAL LOUD EXPLOSIONS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER LOUD EXPLOSION WHEN THE PLANE HIT THE GROUND. RECORDED AUDIO FROM SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM HOMES AROUND THE ACCIDENT SCENE CONFIRMS THESE ACCOUNTS. WITNESSES THAT SAW THE AIRPLANE AND HEARD IT, SAID THEY LOOKED UP BECAUSE THE ?NORMAL? ENGINE SOUNDS OF A PLANE FLYING ABOVE TURNED TO LOUD HIGH RPM ENGINE NOISE, SOME SAW THE AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM THE CLOUDS INTACT THEN START TO BREAK UP WHILE OTHERS SAW THE AIRPLANE FALLING FROM THE SKY WITH PIECES COMING OFF AND ON FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N414RS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.