LAX05FA054

The airplane collided with a radio transmission tower while on an extended base leg of the traffic pattern at the Fullerton airport in day visual meteorological conditions. The pilot made contact with the control tower, indicating his position, and that he had the current ATIS information. The controller cleared the airplane for a left base entry to the runway. When the airplane was about 3 miles north of the airport the controller cleared the airplane to land. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted the radio transmission tower about 15 feet below the top. A review of the pilot's logbooks revealed that he had been to the airport at least four times prior to the accident flight. At the time of the accident, the sun was about 27 degrees above the horizon and about 20 degrees horizontally from the pilot's flight path. The transmission tower stood about 760 feet above ground level (agl), and was depicted on both the applicable Terminal Area Chart and in the Airport/ Facility Directory. The airport's traffic pattern altitude was 1,100 feet mean sea level (msl) or 1,004 feet agl. Historically, the airport property was used as an aircraft landing field starting in 1913, and has been continuously operated as an airport. The radio tower, located 1.77 nautical miles from the airport, was constructed in 1948. The setting of the altimeter found in the wreckage was in error and the altimeter would have displayed an altitude that was 50 feet higher than the airplane was in actuality.

On December 19, 2004, about 0948 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182P, N9187G, collided with a radio transmission tower at La Mirada, California, while in the traffic pattern to the Fullerton Municipal Airport, Fullerton, California. Lightning Aircraft Corporation was operating the rental airplane under the provisions 14 CFR 91. The private pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed from the El Monte Airport, El Monte, California, about 0915, with a planned destination of Fullerton, where the pilot would pickup two passengers. After loading the passengers, the flight was to continue onto Catalina where they intended to spend the day before returning to Fullerton, and then onto El Monte. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.

During an interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, a witness stated that while driving his automobile southbound on Interstate 5, he observed an airplane flying low, in a westerly direction. He noted that the airplane was configured in a wings-level attitude and that the propeller appeared to be turning. The airplane continued towards two parallel towers, both of which had numerous guy wires attached. He observed the inboard section of the airplane's left wing collide with the taller tower, impacting about 10 feet below the pinnacle. After the initial impact, a fire erupted and both wings and the tail floated toward the ground.

Another witness stated that he too was driving southbound on the Interstate 5 when he noticed an airplane making a gradual turn to the southeast and then continuing on a straight course. With the wings level the airplane continued, and the witness then saw that the radio tower in its close proximity. He began to tell his wife seated next to him that "if that plane does not make a radical turn he'll hit the…" The airplane impacted the tower about 15 feet from the pinnacle. The left wing sheared off and the right wing folded down and back, with the tail snapping forward. The airplane erupted in a fireball and the tower subsequently collapsed. The witness exited the interstate on the next off-ramp and turned onto the main road. The road was oriented in the same direction as the airplane was flying before impacting the tower. He noted a strong sun glare on his windshield, which was so bright his visibility was hindered.

A written statement was obtained from the Air Traffic Control Specialist that was in the control tower at the time of the accident. He stated that the accident pilot made contact with him, indicating that the airplane was northwest of the airport and that he had the current ATIS information. Confirming that the ATIS information was correct, the controller identified the airplane using a D-BRITE (Digital Bright Radar Indicator Tower Equipment) radar system. The controller cleared the airplane for a left base entry to runway 06. When the airplane was about 3 miles north of the airport he cleared the airplane to land. Shortly thereafter, he observed an explosion west of the airport and watched as the KFI tower collapsed.

Personnel information

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single engine land airplanes and rotorcraft helicopters. The rotorcraft helicopter rating was issued April 14, 2000, and the airplane single engine land add-on rating was issued June 01, 2004. The pilot held a third-class medical certificate that was issued on November 17, 2003, with limitations that the pilot must have glasses available for near vision.

According to the pilot's flight logbook he had 188 hours total time, with 103 hours accrued in rotorcraft, and 85 hours accrued in fixed wing airplane. All of the fixed wing flight hours was amassed in Cessna aircraft, which included the 150, 152, 172, and 182. The pilot accumulated a total of 4 hours in a Cessna 182 (completed in the accident airplane), of which two of those were accrued with an instructor on November 01, 2004, as part of a high-performance sign-off.

Based on the airport identifiers listed in the logbook for flight origin and destination points, the pilot accumulated a majority of his flying hours around El Monte. There were four recorded entries where the pilot logged flights to the Fullerton Municipal Airport while operating a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, with the two most recent trips taking place in 2002. One of those trips took place on April 28, 2002, where the pilot logged the departure and arrival points as: El Monte (EMT) to Ontario International Airport, Ontario, California (ONT), on to Fullerton (FUL), and back to El Monte. The flight is described in the remarks section as "10E-ONT Midfield S to Corona, W to FUL, FUL-EMT." The last entry noting a flight into Fullerton is dated several days later on May 9, 2002. The flight is described in the remarks section as "605 S- 5 S - FUL- 605N-EMT."

In the back of the flight log under cross-country solo endorsements an entry was dated March 04, 2000. The entry was a certified flight instructor's (CFI) authorization for the pilot to make a solo flight from El Monte to Fullerton via Rialto Municipal Airport, Rialto, California. It further authorized the pilot to perform landings at both Rialto and Fullerton, and stated that the CFI had reviewed the preflight planning and preparation for that flight.

Aircraft information

The airplane was a Cessna 182P, serial number 18263383. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed a total airframe time of 2,873.2 hours at the annual inspection, which was completed on October 20, 2004. The airplane had a total time of 2,901.4 hours when departing on the accident flight.

The airplane had a Teledyne Continental Motors O-470-R engine, serial number 275500-R, installed. Total time on the engine at the last annual inspection was 2,829.6 hours, which was completed on October 05, 2004.

Meteorological information

A routine aviation weather report (METAR) generated by an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) at Fullerton Municipal Airport indicated that about 2 minutes after to the accident, winds were from 360 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear sky; temperature 23 degrees Celsius; dew point -01 degrees Celsius; and an altimeter setting of 30.18 inches of mercury.

A routine METAR report at the EL Monte Airport indicated that at 0909, winds were variable at 9 knots; visibility 20 statute miles; clear sky and an altimeter setting of 30.23 inches of mercury.

A sun and moon illumination computer program used by the Safety Board calculated that, at the time of the accident, the sun was 27.1 degrees above the horizon on a bearing of 137.7 degrees (magnetic) from the accident site.

Aerodrome information

Fullerton Municipal Airport

The Airport/ Facility Directory, Southwest U. S., indicates that 2 miles west-northwest of the Fullerton Municipal Airport (elevation 96 feet mean sea level (msl)), there is a lighted tower stretching 819 feet msl. Pictorially depicted as a obstruction below 1,000 feet above ground level (agl), the Los Angeles VFR Terminal Area Chart, dated December 23, 2004 (50th edition), discloses the transmission tower height extends 820 feet msl and 760 agl. The traffic pattern altitude is notated as 1,100 feet msl or 1,004 feet agl.

According to the City of Fullerton's website, Fullerton Municipal Airport traces its origins back as early as 1913, when barnstormers and crop dusters used the then vacant site as a landing strip. In January 1927, the City Council signed an ordinance leasing the land to the Chamber, who then subleased the property to an individual to be used as an airfield. The first hangar was constructed on the land and about 7 months following the ordinance, with the