What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 2, 2025, just after 1400 pacific standard time, U.S. Registered aircraft, an experimental RV10, impacted the roof of a furniture warehouse located at privacy data omitted approximately two minutes after departing Fullerton Municipal Airport (ful). The aircraft had taken off from runway 24, and the cause of the crash is currently
Undetermined. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and both occupants of the aircraft sustained fatal injuries.
The pilot in command (PIC) was identified as the privacy data omittedof the aircraft, holding a private pilot airplane single-engine land rating issued on January 12, 2012. With fewer than 600
Flight hours, the pilot’s most recent basic medical certificate was issued on November 6, 2023. The identity of the passenger has not been confirmed by the FAA at this time. According to preliminary reports, the aircraft departed Fullerton at approximately 1407, with audio obtained from liveatc. Net indicating that the aircraft was set to depart on the left downwind, although the intended destination remains unknown. Weather conditions at Fullerton Municipal Airport (ful) at the time of departure were as follows: VRB03KT, 8 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 22°c, with an altimeter setting of 30.01”.at 1407, the pilot radioed an urgent request for an "immediate landing," with the voice of the pilot indicating an impending urgency. A radio transmission occurred in 1709 which included sounds of the pilot, and possibly the passenger, talking in an extremely panicked manner. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft impacted the roof of the 2 warehouses, igniting a fire upon impact. Media reports indicate that approximately 20 individuals were inside the building, some of whom sustained minor injuries.
The Fullerton fire department responded to the scene, successfully extinguishing the fire.
FAA personnel, were dispatched and arrived at the scene at approximately 1645. Due to power being shut off in the building, visibility was poor during the inspection of the site.
The engine, propeller, forward cowling, and instrument panel were found approximately 100 feet northwest of the fuselage. The fuselage was severely damaged, with the left wing bent upward and destroyed. The tail section remained intact, but the right wing was not visible from the investigators' vantage point. One of the victims, presumed to be the PIC, was located beneath the wreckage, while the other, possibly the passenger, was removed by first responders and placed adjacent to the remains of the aircraft.
The NTSB investigator, arrived at the scene at 1755, and the orange county coroner’s office followed shortly after, arriving at approximately 1800. A second visit was made to the warehouse to share initial findings with the NTSB. FAA personnel handed over toxicology kits, tox boxes, to the NTSB investigator to pass on to the coroner and departed the scene just before 2000.
The NTSB and FAA investigators plan to resume the investigation at 0800 on January 3, 2025.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 2, 2025, JUST AFTER 1400 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, U.S. REGISTERED AIRCRAFT, AN EXPERIMENTAL RV10, IMPACTED THE ROOF OF A FURNITURE WAREHOUSE LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES AFTER DEPARTING FULLERTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FUL). THE AIRCRAFT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM RUNWAY 24, AND THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH IS CURRENTLY
UNDETERMINED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOLDING A PRIVATE PILOT AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND RATING ISSUED ON JANUARY 12, 2012. WITH FEWER THAN 600
FLIGHT HOURS, THE PILOT’S MOST RECENT BASIC MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED ON NOVEMBER 6, 2023. THE IDENTITY OF THE PASSENGER HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE FAA AT THIS TIME. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY REPORTS, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FULLERTON AT APPROXIMATELY 1407, WITH AUDIO OBTAINED FROM LIVEATC.NET INDICATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET TO DEPART ON THE LEFT DOWNWIND, ALTHOUGH THE INTENDED DESTINATION REMAINS UNKNOWN. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT FULLERTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FUL) AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WERE AS FOLLOWS: VRB03KT, 8 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 22°C, WITH AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.01”.AT 1407, THE PILOT RADIOED AN URGENT REQUEST FOR AN "IMMEDIATE LANDING," WITH THE VOICE OF THE PILOT INDICATING AN IMPENDING URGENCY. A RADIO TRANSMISSION OCCURRED IN 1709 WHICH INCLUDED SOUNDS OF THE PILOT, AND POSSIBLY THE PASSENGER, TALKING IN AN EXTREMELY PANICKED MANNER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE ROOF OF THE 2 WAREHOUSES, IGNITING A FIRE UPON IMPACT. MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE THAT APPROXIMATELY 20 INDIVIDUALS WERE INSIDE THE BUILDING, SOME OF WHOM SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
THE FULLERTON FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, SUCCESSFULLY EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE.
FAA PERSONNEL, WERE DISPATCHED AND ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1645. DUE TO POWER BEING SHUT OFF IN THE BUILDING, VISIBILITY WAS POOR DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE SITE.
THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, FORWARD COWLING, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, WITH THE LEFT WING BENT UPWARD AND DESTROYED. THE TAIL SECTION REMAINED INTACT, BUT THE RIGHT WING WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE INVESTIGATORS' VANTAGE POINT. ONE OF THE VICTIMS, PRESUMED TO BE THE PIC, WAS LOCATED BENEATH THE WRECKAGE, WHILE THE OTHER, POSSIBLY THE PASSENGER, WAS REMOVED BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND PLACED ADJACENT TO THE REMAINS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR, ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT 1755, AND THE ORANGE COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER, ARRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 1800. A SECOND VISIT WAS MADE TO THE WAREHOUSE TO SHARE INITIAL FINDINGS WITH THE NTSB. FAA PERSONNEL HANDED OVER TOXICOLOGY KITS, TOX BOXES, TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR TO PASS ON TO THE CORONER AND DEPARTED THE SCENE JUST BEFORE 2000.
THE NTSB AND FAA INVESTIGATORS PLAN TO RESUME THE INVESTIGATION AT 0800 ON JANUARY 3, 2025.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.