LAX07FA272

The pilot had informed his girlfriend that on the accident flight he was going to stay out longer than normal for night currency. Following the VFR night cross-country flight, the pilot initiated a descent for his destination airport. While descending, the airplane, in a wings-level attitude, struck hilly terrain 57 feet below the top of a 2,973 foot ridgeline. The accident flight was between two airports, which was a frequent flight for the pilot. Extracted GPS data confirmed a normal descent profile to the pilot's home airport. Due to a local power outage, which also impacted the airport, the pilot was descending without the benefit of the ground illumination. The pilot also had not reset his altimeter to the destination airports current altimeter setting, which resulted in the altimeter indicating a higher than actual altitude.

History of flight

On September 11, 2007, at 2228 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman AA-5, N119G, collided with elevated terrain near Joshua Tree, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant was killed; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Big Bear Airport (L35), Big Bear, California, at 2100, with a planned destination of Roy Williams Airport (L80), Joshua Tree. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed.

According to the pilot's girlfriend, the pilot made the flight from L35 to L80 on a regular basis, and it usually took about 30 minutes. She also stated that on this occasion the pilot indicated he would extend the flight in order to build his night currency.

A Garmin 296 handheld GPS receiver was recovered from the main wreckage and inspected by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC). The GPS coordinates data for the accident flight was extracted. The data indicated that the airplane departed from L35 on a northerly heading. After flying approximately 10 miles, the airplane turned right on a southeast heading for an additional 50 miles. For the remaining 50 minutes of flight, the airplane circled L80, making multiple meandering passes over the city of Twentynine Palms in the region east of Copper Mountain. Shortly thereafter, at an altitude of 4,380 feet, and 12 miles east of L80, the airplane made a turn to the west and began a gradual descent heading towards the airport. The last recorded GPS position was at an altitude of 3,020 feet, 3.4 miles east of L80.

According to local law enforcement, on the night of the accident a power outage was reported between 2100 and 0300, affecting about 800 area residents. The Joshua Tree airport manager confirmed that the airport was without power during this time.

Personnel information

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman records revealed that the 72-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land.

The pilot held a third-class medical certificate issued on May 24, 2007. It had the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for distant vision and must possess glasses for near vision.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot. The IIC obtained the aeronautical experience listed in this report from a review of the FAA airmen medical records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot reported on his medical application that he had a total time of 1,000 hours.

Aircraft information

The airplane was a Grumman AA-5, serial number AA5-0324. A review of the airplane's logbooks revealed that the airplane had a total airframe time of 3,913.2 hours at the last annual inspection dated July 12, 2007. The tachometer read 3,913.2 at the last inspection. The tachometer read 3,919.5 at the accident scene.

The engine was a Lycoming O-320-E2G, serial number L-22493-27A. No engine logbooks were recovered for the accident airplane.

Meteorological information

The closest weather reporting station was in Twentynine Palms EAF Airport (NXP), 9 miles north of the accident site. An aviation routine weather report (METAR) was issued at 2255, and reported an altimeter setting of 29.99 inHg (inches of Mercury). A METAR for L35 that was issued at 2110 reported the altimeter setting of 31.31 inHg.

The Safety Board investigator at the accident location observed the airplane altimeter setting as 30.10 inHg.

Airport information

The Airport/Facility Directory, Southwest U. S., indicated that Roy Williams Airport (L80) runway 24 was 2,493 feet long and 50 feet wide. The runway surface was asphalt. The runway edge lights were a non-standard low density lighting system.

Wreckage and impact information

Investigators examined the wreckage at the accident scene. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a ground scar. The debris path was along a magnetic heading of 240 degrees.

The wreckage was located on a 45-degree, southeast facing, lose shale-covered slope, 3.4 miles east of L80; The top of the ridgeline was measured at 2,973 feet. The fuselage, wings, and empennage were intact, and came to rest on a heading of approximately 240 degrees. The engine and propeller had separated from the fuselage and came to rest 10 feet upslope from the main wreckage.

The left fuel tank had breached along the entire leading edge and contained no fuel. The right fuel tank was intact, and recovery personnel removed five gallons of aviation grade fuel.

Medical and pathological information

The San Bernardino County Coroner completed an autopsy on September 14, 2007. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), Oklahoma City, performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot.

The report contained the following positive findings for tested drugs: 2 (mg/dL,mg/hg) N-Propanol detected in blood; 3 (mg/dL,mg/hg) N-Propanol detected in Urine.

The report contained the following positive findings for volatiles: 84 (mg/dL,mg/hg) Ethanol detected in blood; 42 (mg/dL,mg/hg) Ethanol detected in Urine; and 15 (mg/dL,mg/hg) Ethanol detected in blood. The report from the San Bernardino County Coroner indicated that the ethanol found in this case may potentially be from post-mortem ethanol formation and not from the ingestion of ethanol.

Tests and research

Investigators examined the wreckage at Aircraft Recovery Service, Littlerock, California, on September 17, 2007.

The airframe and engine were examined with no mechanical anomalies identified.

Additional information

According to the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), 7-2-3, the following is reported under the heading of "Altimeter Errors:"

b. Once in flight, it is very important to obtain frequently current altimeter settings en route. If you do not reset your altimeter when flying from an area of high pressure into an area of low pressure, your aircraft will be closer to the surface than your altimeter indicates. An inch error in the altimeter setting equals 1,000 feet of altitude. To quote an old saying: "GOING FROM A HIGH TO A LOW, LOOK OUT BELOW."