# NTSB LAX06FA233: Bellanca 14-19, N522A, Arcata, CA, July 17, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: July 16, 2006, 22:32 local (Jul 17, 2006, 05:32 UTC) - Place: Arcata, CA - Coordinates: 40.834167, -124.012496 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8342&lon=-124.0125&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Textron Lycoming - NTSB case key (mKey): 64137 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX06FA233 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64137/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06FA233 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to follow the prescribed instrument approach procedure and to maintain the proper glide slope and altitude/clearance from obstacles while on an instrument landing system approach, resulting in a collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the dark night lighting conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, approach - iaf to faf/outer marker (ifr) - object - tree(s) - ifr procedure - not followed, pilot in command (cause) - atc clearance - not complied with, pilot in command (cause) - proper glidepath - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - altitude/clearance - not maintained, pilot in command ## Analysis The pilot was receiving flight following from air traffic control (ATC). While en route to the destination airport, the weather deteriorated to instrument flight rules conditions. He requested the instrument landing system (ILS) approach. ATC cleared him for a procedure turn to the ILS approach course, and to cross the initial approach fix (IAF) at or above 5,200 feet. The runway threshold was 316 degrees at 14.7 miles from the IAF. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane began descending prior to reaching the IAF; the airplane was 800 feet low while still 1 mile from it. The airplane continued descending until colliding with trees. It was on the approximate localizer approach path, but the debris path was on a heading about 90 degrees off the approach course. The airplane's last reported Mode C altitude was 1,600 feet mean seal level (msl). The wreckage was about 11 nautical miles from the runway at an elevation of about 1,735 feet. The glide slope altitude was 1,753 feet at the outer marker (OM), which was 4.6 nm from the runway threshold. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 16, 2006, about 2232 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 14-19, N522A, impacted a tree on an instrument approach to Arcata Airport, Arcata, California. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The pilot was killed; the airplane was destroyed. The personal flight departed from Colusa, California, about 2112, with a planned destination of Arcata. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The airplane became the subject of a search and rescue alert notice (ALNOT) when the Seattle Air Traffic Control Center lost contact with the pilot. Search and Rescue personnel located the wreckage on July 17, 2006, at 1200, 6-8 miles southeast of the Arcata Airport on the approach for runway 32. They reported that the airplane impacted trees and was destroyed. A review of air traffic control transcripts indicated that the pilot provided a pilot report to Oakland Flight Watch at 1932, and received a weather report for Arcata. The weather was clear, but the amended forecast for the pilot's time of arrival was for 500 feet scattered clouds with occasional broken clouds and visibility of 5 miles. The pilot indicated that he would stop at Colusa. At 2113, the pilot contacted Oakland Flight Watch, and informed them that he was climbing through 2,500 feet out of Colusa. He got updated Arcata weather at 2143. It was winds calm, visibility 6 miles in haze, and clear below 12,000 feet. The temperature/dewpoint spread was 3 degrees. The pilot checked in with Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center at 2154; he indicated that he had been monitoring the weather at Arcata, and he could probably get in there. Seattle Center cleared him to maintain visual flight rules (VFR). At 2214, the pilot informed the Center that the Arcata weather had declined to 1,000 feet broken, and requested the instrument landing system (ILS) approach. Seattle Center cleared him to the Knees initial approach fix, which 136 degrees at 15.4 nm from the Arcata very high frequency omni-directional radio range (VOR). They also cleared him for a procedure turn to the ILS approach course for runway 32, and to maintain 5,200 feet. The last transmission from the pilot occurred at 2225:34; he reported just outside of Knees and inbound. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the airplane's last reported Mode C altitude was 1,800 feet mean seal level (msl) at 2231:54. This target was at 40 degrees 49 minutes 55 seconds north latitude by 123 degrees 59 minutes 45 seconds west longitude. The wreckage location was at 40 degrees 58.25 minutes north latitude by 124 degrees 6.19 minutes west longitude. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of FAA airman records revealed that the 49-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a third-class medical certificate issued on July 15, 2006. It had the limitation that the pilot must have glasses available for near vision. No personal flight records were located for the pilot. The FAA reported that the pilot indicated on his medical application that he had a total time of 1,369 hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a Bellanca 14-19, serial number 2075. The engine was a Textron Lycoming O-435-A, serial number 1053-17. Investigators did not recover logbooks for the airplane. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest official weather observation station was Arcata, (KACV), which was 5 nautical miles (nm) at 326 degrees from the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 221 feet mean sea level (msl). An aviation routine weather report (METAR) for ACV was issued at 2218. It stated: winds from 120 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 7 miles; skies 1,000 feet broken; temperature 12/53 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; dew point 11/52 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit; altimeter 30.14 inches of mercury. The FAA accident coordinator indicated that several witnesses stated that the mountains including Fickle Hill, the site of the accident, had dense fog. One resident stated the fog was so thick he could not see past the front of his car's hood. AIDS TO NAVIGATION The instrument approach chart Arcata ILS Runway 32 approach notes a minimum altitude of 5,200 feet during the procedure turn. Glide slope/glide path intercept altitude is 5,200 feet at the KNEES initial approach fix. It depicts an approach course of 316 degrees to the localizer (I-ACV), and the runway threshold is 14.7 miles from KNEES. The glide slope altitude is 1,753 feet at the ACATA outer marker (OM), which is 4.6 nm from the runway threshold. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT The FAA accident coordinator examined the wreckage on scene. The wreckage was in two main sections; one on each side of a mountain ridge. A logging road ran down the ridgeline. The tail section was on the east side and the forward fuselage with pilot was on the west side. He stated that the first identified point of contact (FIPC) was about 15 feet up on a large fir tree, and the airplane hit engine first at the top of Fickle Hill heading southwest. The airplane broke apart behind the pilot seat. The airplane's tail section fell around the tree; the forward section (firewall, instrument panel and pilot seat) continued over the logging road. From the tree to the fuselage impact area was about 200 feet on a steep slope of about 50 to 60 degrees down angle. Airplane parts were scattered in a V-shape from the tree out to about 100 feet. The tachometer read 546.1 hours. The pilot was still in the airplane attached only by the lap belt when found by Humboldt Sheriff personnel; the shoulder harness broke on impact. Initial inspection of the front section of the fuselage indicated that the engine had torn loose from the firewall. The fuselage was rolled up in a ball with both wing spars and one landing gear attached. Both yokes were attached, and what looked like an auxiliary tank may have been rolled up in the metal. The left wing fuel tank was crushed and had two large holes. The coordinator noted that the tank still had a small amount of fuel inside. He removed the gascolators, and found fuel inside. He removed the fuel boost pump; he took it apart, and noted that the pump had fuel inside. TESTS AND RESEARCH The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) and an investigator from Textron Lycoming examined the wreckage at Plain Parts, Pleasant Grove, California, on September18, 2006. Airframe The airframe sustained heavy mechanical damage and fragmented. There were several disconnects within the pitot/static system. A tube from the vertical speed indicator (VSI) went to a T-fitting. One line separated inside the cockpit 3 inches aft of the T-fitting; the other line crossed over to another instrument. The pitot tube had a built in static port. Two lines separated about 1 inch from the pitot tube. The IIC blew through the lines, and air exited at the static port and the pitot tube. The pitot tube was connected to the airspeed indicator. The static cross over line separated. The altimeter fitting sustained mechanical damage, and separated; the fracture surface was angular. The venturi was not recovered. The elevator and rudder control cables separated in the cabin area; the fractures exhibited a broomstraw pattern. The elevator trim rod sustained mechanical damage, and was bent. It fractured and separated; the fracture surface was angular and uneven. The elevator trim cable was in place and connected. The rudder trim cable was attached, but the bottom linkage separated. The top two rudder hinges were in place, and the bolts were connected. The bottom hinge was in place on the vertical stabilizer, but sustained mechanical damage, and the rudder separated. Right Wing The right wing had l ## Aircraft - Registration: [N522A](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N522A-2014-10-27), registration cancelled 2014-10-27, S/N 2075, built 1951 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bellanca 14-19 - Registry model: [Bellanca 14-19](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-14-19) (registry code 3080102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-435A/0-435C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-435a-0-435c) (registry code 41517, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2075 - Engines: Lycoming O-435-A 190 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: O08, Colusa, CA - Destination: KACV, Arcata Airport, CA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,369 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 120° at 4 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,000 ft broken - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: ACV, 5 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060716014779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060716014779A), Jul 16, 2006: Blanca 1419, Arcata - Eureka, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) Seattle ARTCC was tracking aircraft N522A into Arcata, CA on a flight plan and lost radar contact. Aircraft impacted a 100 foot pine tree about 75 feet… ## Other investigations on N522A (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC72FIA13](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC72FIA13), Jan 1, 1972: Bellanca 14-19 (N522A), Friendly, MD, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.