LAX07FAMS1

The airplane departed the airport some time after 0500 and never returned. An extensive 10-day search was conducted by the Civil Air Patrol. The airplane was not located.

History of flight

On July 7, 2007, sometime after 0500 Pacific daylight time, a Cub Crafters, Inc., CC11-100, N222TB, departed the Aurora State Airport, Aurora, Oregon, for a local flight. The airplane never returned to the airport and was reported missing by the family on July 8th. The airline transport pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane is presumed to have been destroyed, and the pilot is presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The Portland Police Bureau's report states that the pilot departed his residence around 0500, and rode his motorcycle to the Aurora Airport. The motorcycle was located in the hangar where the airplane was usually stored. No witnesses actually observed the airplane depart the airport. The pilot's wife stated that he was going to go to the airport early in the morning to get familiar with his newly purchased airplane and fly some touch-and-go's. He intended to stay in the local area. The Civil Air Patrol mission log states that a person working for the local FBO arrived at the airport about 0630 and noted that the airplane was not in its hangar.

Personnel information

A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records revealed the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings in the Boeing 747, 757, 767, and the DC-9. He also held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single engine land, single engine sea, and a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate.

The pilot held a second-class medical certificate that was issued October 18, 2006. It was issued with the restriction that the pilot must have glasses available for near vision.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot. The aeronautical experience listed in this report was obtained from a review of the FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. These records indicated that as of his medical examination on October 18, 2006, the pilot had a total time of 23,950 hours.

Aircraft information

The airplane was a bright yellow, single engine, high wing, tandem place, tail wheel configured airplane, manufactured by Cub Crafters, Inc., in 2007. The airplane was powered by a 100-horsepower, O-200-A(88) Teledyne Continental engine with a fixed pitch propeller. The Portland Police Bureau missing persons report stated that the airplane had been special ordered by the pilot, and was not configured with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The pilot intended to install a new model ELT, but had not installed one yet. The airplane maintenance records confirm that no ELT was installed. Additionally, the Civil Air Patrol had determined that the airplane had accumulated a total of 10.5 hours of flight time.

Additional information

The airplane became the subject of an Alert Notice (ALNOT) on July 8th when concerned family members contacted the FAA.

Radar data for the period of July 7 covering the area of Aurora Airport was used by the Civil Air Patrol in the search efforts. The radar data is contained in the official docket of the investigation.

The Civil Air Patrol conducted search operations from July 8th through July 18th after which the search was suspended.