20220722022819A

ON JULY 22, 2022, JUST AFTER 13:21 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, U.S. REGISTERED AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PIPER J3C-65, SERIAL # 22356, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^LOCATED IN FLORIDA CRASHED OFF THE SHORELINE WITHIN THE HUNTINGTON STATE BEACH WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL BANNER TOWING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE SHORELINE. IT HAD DEPARTED FROM COMPTON AIRPORT AND FLEW NORTH ALONG THE COASTLINE PAST MALIBU THEN HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS LONG BEACH WITH A FINAL DESTINATION HUNTINGTON BEACH. THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS FROM THE COASTLINE AND IN ABOUT 40 FEET OF WATER. ACCORDING TO LIFEGUARD WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A RAPID LEVEL DESCENT WHEN IT STUCK THE WATER. WITNESS REPORTED THEY DID NOT HEAR OR NOTICE IF THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. MULTIPLE SWIMMERS AND SURFERS NEAR THE CRASH RENDER ASSISTANTS TO THE PILOT, WHO WAS ABLE TO SELF-EXTRACT HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND WASHED TO SHORE. AT THE REQUEST OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), IT WAS REQUESTED THAT THE WRECKAGE BE MOVED CLOSER TO SHORE TO AVOID THE TIDE PULLING THE AIRCRAFT BACK OUT TO SEA, HOWEVER, THE HUNTINGTON BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD PULLED IT APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FURTHER INLAND TO AN ASPHALT LOCATION. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. IT APPEARS FROM THE VIDEO FOOTAGE THERE WAS COLLATERAL DAMAGE POST-ACCIDENT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE RECOVERY STAGES.

THERE WAS ONE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, THE PILOT IN COMMAND, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE, AIRPLANE MULTI ENGINE LAND, AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE AND COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WITH 850 FLIGHT HOURS AND A MEDICAL DATE OF 03/10/2021. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SEVERAL MINOR INJURIES ONE TO HIS HEAD AND BOTH KNEES BRUISED. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL IN THE AREA FOR TREATMENT AND RELEASED LATER THAT DAY. THERE IS NO RECORDS OF PILOT ENFORCEMENT HISTORY. THE PILOT WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF OUR ARRIVAL AND HAD LOST THE USE OF HIS CELL PHONE DUE TO WATER DAMAGE AT THE CRASH SITE. AFTER CONTACTING THE OWNER, THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE PILOT AND OBTAIN A POST-CRASH BRIEFING.

AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE LONG BEACH FSDO HAS BEEN ASSIGNED AS THE IIC. THE IIC AND FAA INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^FROM THE LONG BEACH FSDO BOTH ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 15:35 ON JULY 22, 2022, PACIFIC STANDARD TIME. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) WAS NOT ON SITE, HOWEVER THE IIC WAS IN CONTACT WITH INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, FROM THE NTSB.

AFTER THE IIC COMPLETED THE FIELD INVESTIGATION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE BEACH AND TRUCKED ON A FLATBED TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIRCRAFT STORAGE YARD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^