# NTSB WPR09LA203: Extra EA-300, N101PK, Santa Barbara, CA, April 20, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 19, 2009, 17:28 local (Apr 20, 2009, 00:28 UTC) - Place: Santa Barbara, CA - Coordinates: 34.417778, -120.01667 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4178&lon=-120.0167&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-aerobatics: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report October 21, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 73684 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09LA203 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73684/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73684 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA203 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain for undetermined reasons while performing aerobatics. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=70218DI), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-aerobatics: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) (defining event); cases with it: [Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=70218DI), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md) ## Analysis A witness observed the airplane performing aerobatics over the ocean for about 10 minutes prior to the accident. The maneuver was the same; the airplane would fly straight up, roll 360 degrees as in a loop, descend, and then pull back up into the same maneuver. On the maneuver that culminated in the accident he saw the airplane fly straight up, flip over, and enter into a 45-degree descent toward the water. He expected the airplane to pull up into the same maneuver; however, the airplane continued its descent until it impacted the water. The witness reported that he was not able to see any detail as the airplane was off in the distance. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 19, 2009, at 1728 Pacific daylight time, an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA-300, N101PK, crashed about 3 miles offshore of the El Capitan State Beach, Santa Barbara, California. Otter Enterprises owned and operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, as a personal flight. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was killed. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that had departed the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, at 1714. No flight plan had been filed. According to a witness, he had gone outside and saw the airplane doing aerobatics over the water. He sat down and watched for about 10 minutes, and observed the airplane do a maneuver four times that he described as "flying straight up, flipping over, coming back down, and then flying straight up again." He then saw the airplane enter into a 45-degree descent toward the water, and expected the airplane to pull up again into same maneuver; however, the airplane impacted the water. From his residence, the airplane looked to be only about an inch in size, and he was not able to see a lot of detail. He also reported that it did not appear to be flying close to the water, but rather high up. The witness has viewed helicopters flying to the oil platforms, and estimated that the airplane was "four times higher than the helicopters," which flew closer to the water. The airplane was located and recovered in the El Capitan channel from a depth of about 210 feet. A private company hired by the family recovered the pilot and airplane wreckage on April 27, 2009. PERSONNEL INFORMATION A review of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman and medical records on file in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed that the 61-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He had been issued a third-class medical on June 13, 2007, with no restrictions. At that time, the pilot reported a total flight time of 3,000 hours. According to a family friend, the pilot flew several times during the week, as well as the weekend, and did not perform aerobatics below 3,000 feet. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a 1994 Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH, EA-300, serial number 051. A review of the airplane’s logbooks revealed that a total airframe time of 774 hours at the last annual inspection. An annual inspection was completed on March 12, 2008; there were no further entries in the logbook. The airplane was powered by a Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 engine, serial number L-25253-28A. A review of the engine's logbooks revealed that the last 100-hour inspection was completed on March 12, 2008, at a total time of 774 hours. COMMUNICATIONS The airplane was in contact with the Santa Barbara airport traffic control tower (ATCT). According to the FAA transcripts, the pilot requested and received permission for avisual flight rules (VFR) departure for the west practice area, between 1714 and 1720. At 1720, the pilot contacted Santa Barbara departure, Elcap sector, where he was told by the controller to resume own navigation and appropriate VFR altitudes. At 1727:27, the Elcap sector controller advised the accident pilot that radar contact had been lost. During the next 15 minutes, the Elcap controller made numerous attempts to contact the pilot, with no response. The Harbor sector controller coordinated search efforts for the accident airplane with the Elcap sector controller and the Santa Barbara county fire helicopter crew. After the airplane had entered into the west practice area, the Elcap controller lost radar contact with the airplane. Normally the pilots in that area will listen in on the frequency for traffic calls, but once they start their maneuvers, they are not in constant communication with the controllers. The Harbor controller reported that no distress calls were made. The Harbor controller indicated that the airplane had disappeared off the radar and did not reacquire, and that a lot of times the airplanes would disappear because they are doing low altitude maneuvers, and that they will reacquire the radar contact. After a few minutes went by the airplane had still not been reacquired by radar, and they attempted to contact the pilot with no response. The Harbor controller reported that the airplane was lost off radar around 2,300 feet, about 8 to 9 miles off the extended final runway departure corridor for runway 25 and runway 7. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner, Santa Barbara, completed an autopsy of the pilot on April 28, 2009. The autopsy report noted the “Cause of Death” as “Massive multiple blunt force trauma.” The FAA Forensic Toxicology Research Team, Oklahoma City, performed toxicological testing of specimens from the pilot. The report contained the following positive findings for tested volatiles, 20 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol detected in the heart, 20 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol detected in the blood, 15 (mg/dL, mg/hg) ethanol detected in the lung. No ethanol was detected in the muscle or liver. The toxicology report also noted that the ethanol "found in this case is from sources other than ingestion." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N101PK](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N101PK-2010-05-28), registration cancelled 2010-05-28, S/N 051, built 1994 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: EXTRA EA-300 - Registry model: [Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/extra-flugzeugbau-ea-300) (registry code 70218DI) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming AEIO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (registry code 41568, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 051 - Airframe hours: 774 - Engines: Lycoming AEIO-540 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Otter Enterprises - Registered owner: Otter Enterprises - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic - Last inspection: Annual, March 12, 2008 - Departed: SBA, Santa Barbara, CA - Destination: SBA, Santa Barbara, CA - Airport: SBA, Santa Barbara Muni Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: rear; toxicology performed; flight hours: 3,000 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: SBA, 10 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 20090419016239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090419016239A), Apr 19, 2009: Extra EA300, Santa Barbara, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) On April 19, 2009, N101PK an Extra EA-300 was performing aerobatic maneuvers two miles off shore of el capitain state beach. At 1725 PST. N101PK was lost… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 15, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73684. 2.8 MB in all. - Photo 1 - main wreckage ocean floor (Divecon Services Inc) (item 1, .PDF, 29 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330026&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20main%20wreckage%20ocean%20floor%20(Divecon%20Services%20Inc)-Master.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies - Excerpt ATC Package (item 2, .PDF, 1000 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330027&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies%20-%20Excerpt%20ATC%20Package-Redacted.PDF - Excerpt Aircraft Logbook (item 3, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330028&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpt%20Aircraft%20Logbook-Redacted.PDF - Engine Logbook Excerpt (item 4, .PDF, 112 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330029&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Engine%20Logbook%20Excerpt-Redacted.PDF - Propeller Logbook Excerpt (item 5, .PDF, 114 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330030&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Propeller%20Logbook%20Excerpt-Redacted.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 6, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330031&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation J Coyle - Witness (item 7, .PDF, 131 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40330899&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20J%20Coyle%20-%20Witness-Redacted.PDF - Record of Conversation - Rich Stowell (item 8, .PDF, 28 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40331806&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Rich%20Stowell-Redacted.PDF 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.