LAX98FA152

The private pilot and his three passengers were on a personal trip to an island off of the California coastline. After departure the pilot proceeded to explore the distant side of the scenic island. The aircraft wreckage was located at the confluence of two narrowing box canyons in a near inverted attitude on the 40-degree mountainside of the island. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were found with the aircraft during the investigation.

History of flight

On May 7, 1998, about 1200 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6514E, was destroyed after colliding with mountainous terrain on Santa Catalina Island about 3 miles southwest of Avalon, California. The private pilot and three passengers all received fatal injuries. Bravo Helicopter and Wing, Torrance, California operated the flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The pilot had received a limited preflight weather briefing for the route from Torrance to Catalina Island and return. The flight originated about 1000 from Torrance, and according to the Catalina Unicom radio operator, the aircraft landed about 1030 and departed for the return flight about 1130 to 1200.

The aircraft was located at 1717 by the U.S. Coast Guard responding to an emergency locator beacon (ELT) signal.

Personnel information

Examination of the private pilot's logbook revealed that he had accumulated about 115 total flight hours. According to the operator's aircraft rental agreement, the pilot indicated that he had 121.8 flight hours with 59.1 hours as pilot-in-command and 55.5 hours of flight instruction. The operator reported that the pilot received a 42-minute checkout flight and a 1.0-hour ground checkout, including a written test, before the aircraft was rented to him. The checkout flight was not listed in the pilot's logbook. The pilot's last documented second-class flight physical was conducted on September 21, 1996.

Aircraft information

Prior to departure from Torrance the pilot had the aircraft refueled with the addition of 11.3 gallons of aviation grade 100LL. The Hobbs hour meter, from departure at Torrance to the accident site, recorded 48 minutes. The distance from Torrance to the Catalina Airport was measured about 28 miles with about 2 additional miles to the accident site.

Meteorological information

The Catalina Airport provides weather information to pilots from an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS), and visual weather observations. The weather information for the estimated accident time was wind northwest at 5 knots; visibility 5 statute miles; broken clouds at 2,000 and 25,000 feet.

The accident aircraft was located at 1717 by the U.S. Coast Guard. According to their weather observation at that time, the weather was winds 220 degrees at 7 knots with a cloud layer at 1,200 feet msl with good visibility below.

Pictures recovered from a passenger's damaged camera showed the cloud cover to be above the terrain in that area believed to be the accident area.

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage site was located near the narrowing confluence of the Silver and Grand canyons on Catalina Island, about 800 feet msl. The terrain slope was estimated to be about 40 degrees from the horizontal.

The direction of impact was cited by compass to be 150 degrees magnetic. In the initial impact crater was located a propeller blade tip and the pitot tube from the left wing. Above the crater, over a distance of about 20 feet and 120 degrees, were located paint transfers, a red navigation light assembly, and portions of the left wing tip. The main wreckage was located near inverted downslope from the crater about 25 feet commingled in dense brush and cactus.

The nose landing gear was broken away from the engine compartment. The engine was still attached to the mounts with firewall crushing aft. Both main landing gears were in their approximate normal positions. Heavy accordioning and crushing was found in the area of the cockpit aft to the rearward portion of the baggage compartment.

The instrument panel was crushed between both forward doorposts. All flooring was distorted and buckled. The empennage was intact with evidence of ground contact at the vertical stabilizer tip. The elevator trim was found to be between 5 and 10 degrees tab up.

The left wing was found bent aft about 180 degrees over the left horizontal stabilizer with full span leading edge damage. The controls were still attached to the wing, as was the wing attach strut. The flap was in the retracted position. The aileron counterweights were still attached. The fuel tank revealed heavy hydraulicing and bulging with some fuel remaining.

The right wing was still attached to the cabin structure with leading edge damage. The wing strut was still attached to the wing and the cabin structure. The controls were still attached with the flaps in the retracted position. The aileron counterweight was still attached. Heavy hydraulicing and bulging of the fuel tank was evident with about half fuel quantity remaining.

Medical and pathological information

On May 8, 1998, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot. During the course of the examination samples were taken for analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeromedical Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The results of the analysis were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. The analysis was positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid, an inactive metabolite of marijuana, with 0.003 (ug/ml, ug/g) detected in the urine and 0.005 (ug/ml ug/g) detected in the blood.

Tests and research

On May 13, 1998, a postaccident examination of the wreckage was conducted by the Safety Board, with parties from Cessna Aircraft Company and Textron Lycoming.

The propeller revealed both forward and aft bending with chordwise striations, leading edge damage, and the loss of 7 inches from a blade tip.

Engine compression was established on all four cylinders. Valve and gear train continuity was established. All valves functioned and were intact. Examination of the spark plugs revealed normal operating signatures, when compared to a manufacturer's check-a-plug chart. The engine oil filter was cut open and examined. The carburetor and gascolator screens were clean. The exhaust muffler was intact and open. The carburetor, air box, air seal, and door were intact though impact damaged. All engine controls appeared to be operational at the time of impact.

Additional information

On May 14, 1998, the wreckage was released to the operator's insurance company representative.