- Date
- June 18, 2015, 21:07 local (Jun 19, 2015, 04:07 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N24022Beech C23
- Defining event
- Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150618012079A
- Case key
- 91409
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot failed to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering to land at night, which resulted in a collision with terrain/objects. A factor contributing to the accident was the lack of oversight by ATC; failing to insure that the fully operational VASI was turned on during the hours of darkness.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on final approach for runway 25R during night conditions, the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) was not operational. The pilot stated that he was "too low" during the approach, so he applied full power in an attempt to go-around. The airplane impacted the top of trees about 530 feet east of the runway and then impacted the airport perimeter fence about 380 feet east of the runway. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while on final approach for runway 25R during night conditions, the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) was not operational. The pilot stated that he was "too low" during the approach, so he applied full power in an attempt to go-around. The airplane impacted the top of trees about 530 feet east of the runway and then impacted the airport perimeter fence about 380 feet east of the runway. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice to Airman (NOTAM) Search archive, NOTAM 06/010 was issued for runway 25R VASI out of service, effective on 06/04/2015, at 2017 (UTC). The NOTAM 06/010 stated that the expiration date was 06/19/2015, at 2300 (UTC), but was canceled one day early on 06/18/2015 at 2241 (UTC). In a telephone conversation with a representative from the FAA Service Operations Center in the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility, he stated that the VASI NOTAM was canceled because the equipment was returned to an operational status and the Long Beach Airport (LGB) air traffic control (ATC) tower was notified over the telephone. During the time of the accident, the LGB ATC tower Automatic Terminal Information Service was still broadcasting that the 25R VASI was out of service.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24022
- Reported as
- Beech C23 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1927
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 4,641
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ranjiv Priyantha Goonetilleke
- Registered owner
- Concord Trading Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 4, 2015
- Departed
- AJO · Corona, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach /Daugherty Field/, runway 25R, 6,191 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,427 total · 1,376 in this make and model · 1,291 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 8.5 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KLGB, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 242 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.