LAX03FA166

The airplane collided with upsloping, high mountainous terrain at an elevation of 12,660 feet mean sea level while maneuvering low to the terrain and below the tops of the peaks and ridge lines west of the accident site. Ground scars and crush deformation to the airplane is consistent with the airplane colliding with the ground in a stall/mush descent. The pilot had departed South Lake Tahoe for an intended nonstop flight to a Southern California airport. As documented by 81digital photographs taken by a passenger, the route of flight included flying over the Yosemite National Park and other scenic areas the Sierra Nevada mountains. En route scattered high clouds were predominant and the weather reports showed benign conditions over the area of the accident. The last few pictures taken by the passenger near the accident site showed the airplane generally flying in a southeasterly direction and at elevations below that of the surrounding mountains. Following the airplane's departure, there were no communications or services provided by any FAA facility. The accident occurred after the airplane had been flying for 1.9 hours. No evidence of any radar track consistent with the airplane's course was found in the vicinity of the accident site. The lowest altitude at which a target is visible on radar in the vicinity of the accident site is 13,300 feet. The wreckage was found on a Sierra Nevada mountain plateau, oriented in an easterly direction facing lower elevation terrain. One mile east of the accident site, over the edge of the plateau, the elevation decreased to about 11,300 feet msl. About 10 miles farther east, the elevation decreased to about 4,900 feet msl. The airplane was equipped with a normally aspirated, 260-horsepower engine, and with reduced gross weight the airplane could climb to a service ceiling of 15,000 feet. The density altitude at the accident site was also about 15,000 feet. No evidence of any mechanical malfunction was found during the wreckage examination.

History of flight

On May 26, 2003, approximately 1535 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International 114, N4730W, impacted mountainous terrain while maneuvering over the Sierra Nevada Mountains about 16 nautical miles (nm) southwest of Bishop, California. The airplane was destroyed. The four fatally injured occupants in the airplane included a private pilot and three passengers, one of whom held a student pilot certificate and was in the front right seat. The pilot, student pilot, and the VYSYM Corporation were the registered owners of the airplane. A spokesperson for the occupants indicated that the pilot was primarily operating the airplane for personal reasons. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the accident site vicinity, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from South Lake Tahoe, California, about 1341, with an intended destination of Santa Ana, California.

The Civil Air Patrol initiated a search for the airplane when it was reported overdue at its Santa Ana destination. The airplane was located the following day.

No witnesses reported observing the accident. The specific route of flight between the South Lake Tahoe Airport and the accident site was not determined. Photographs recovered from a passenger's camera revealed that after taking off and climbing over Lake Tahoe, the airplane flew over the Half Dome area of the Yosemite Valley, California. Thereafter, the airplane proceeded in a southeasterly direction.

Personnel information

Pilot.

The pilot held a Private Pilot certificate, dated June 5, 1997. According to information contained in the pilot's personal flight record logbooks, by the accident date his total flying experience was over 1,557 hours. His experience in the accident airplane was over 900 hours.

The pilot completed an instrument competency check and flight review on May 27, 2001, and Phase 2 of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wings program on September 28, 2002. During the 90-day period immediately preceding the accident flight, the pilot had flown the accident airplane at least 40 hours.

Student Pilot/Passenger.

The pilot's wife held a Student Pilot certificate. No certified flight instructor endorsements authorizing solo flying were present on the certificate.

The student's personal flight record logbook indicated that her first flying lesson was taken in 1989. The last lesson recorded in the logbook was dated 1999. The student pilot's total dual instruction received, and total flying experience, was listed as being 4.0 hours.

Aircraft information

The accident airplane, serial number 14060, was manufactured in 1976. It was equipped with a normally aspirated, 260 horsepower, Lycoming IO-540-T4A5D engine. According to the airplane's manufacturer, under standard atmospheric conditions and with reduced gross weight, a Rockwell International 114 has the performance capability to climb to a service ceiling of 15,000 feet mean sea level (msl).

The airplane's standard 2-blade propeller had been replaced with a 3-blade propeller, pursuant to a supplemental type certificate. According to the airplane's Flight Manual Supplement, this change did not affect the airplane's limitations, procedures, or performance.

Maintenance.

Based upon an examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks and the engine tachometer at the accident site, the airframe's total time was about 4,056.04 hours. The engine's total time since receiving a major overhaul was about 566.04 hours.

The airplane's last annual inspection was performed on May 11, 2002, at a total airframe time of 3,875.96 hours, and at an engine tachometer time of 2,437.48. Since that date, the airplane had been operated about 180.08 hours. During this period, the airplane's Hobbs switch was replaced, the nose strut was serviced, a tire was replaced, the landing gear was serviced, and the pitot-static system was inspected and certified, along with other maintenance items.

Regarding engine-related maintenance since the last annual inspection, the spark plugs were gapped, the oil was changed, and the oil filter was cut open, examined, and replaced.

A squawk sheet was found that listed, by date, maintenance items related to the engine and airframe. The first date noted on the sheet was September 25, 2001, and the last date indicated was April 5, 2003. No squawks were found that were dated after completion of the most recent (April 12, 2003) maintenance that was signed off in the aircraft logbook.

Weight.

The airplane's maximum certificated gross weight was 3,140 pounds. Based upon a weight and balance change form dated April 4, 2001, the airplane's maximum useful load was 1,189.67 pounds.

The fuel tanks held a maximum of 68 usable gallons of fuel. When the tanks were filled to the level of the tank indicator tabs, the fuel quantity was 50 gallons.

A May 26, 2003, fuel receipt from Superior Aviation, at the South Lake Tahoe Airport, indicated that the airplane had been serviced with 35.2 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. The transaction time stamp was 1209. The fuel order was for the tanks to be filled to the "bottom of tabs."

The occupants and baggage were weighed under the supervision of the Safety Board investigator. Including 50 gallons of fuel and the weight of the occupants plus baggage, the airplane's total ramp weight at South Lake Tahoe was about 3,175 pounds.

During the accident flight, at 1429, a photograph was taken that showed the airplane's fuel flow indicator registering 12 gallons per hour. At the time, the airplane was in level cruise flight at 11,760 feet msl, and its indicated airspeed was 110 knots.

Based upon this fuel burn off rate, and including the fuel consumed during ground operation and the climb time, the Safety Board investigator estimated that the engine used about 146 pounds of fuel during the 1.9-hour-long flight (137 pounds used during climb and cruise, plus 9 pounds used during ground operation). The calculated weight of the airplane at the time of the accident was 3,175 - 146 = 3,029 pounds, which is about 111 pounds less than the airplane's maximum certificated gross weight.

Meteorological information

The closest aviation weather observation station to the accident site is located at Bishop, California. Bishop, elevation 4,120 msl, is located approximately 16 nm northeast (057 degrees, magnetic) from the accident site. In pertinent part, at 1456, Bishop reported the following weather conditions: Surface wind variable at 4 knots; visibility at least 10 miles; sky clear; temperature/dew point 91/37 degrees Fahrenheit. The approximate density altitude at the accident site was 15,000 feet.

The Safety Board investigator's review of photographs taken during the accident flight over the route between South Lake Tahoe, Yosemite Valley, and the accident site predominately revealed scattered high clouds.

According to FAA's Western-Pacific quality assurance staff, no FAA personnel provided the pilot with a weather briefing for the accident flight.

Communication

The FAA's quality assurance staff reported that all communications and services between the South Lake Tahoe Airport and the accident airplane were normal. Following the airplane's departure, there were no further communications or services provided by any FAA facility.

Wreckage and impact information

From an examination of the airplane and accident site, the accident occurred on a 15-degree (estimated) upsloping plateau at the following global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates: 37 degrees 17.158 minutes north latitude by 118 degrees 40.805 minutes west longitude. The crash site was located in the John Muir Wilderness Area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which border the west side of the Owens Valley.

About 2 miles and 1 mile west of