Accident Van's RV-6A N426BB,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 134788
 
This record has been locked for editing.

Date:Friday 22 April 2005
Time:15:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic RV6 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Van's RV-6A
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N426BB
MSN: 23405
Total airframe hrs:867 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-D1A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Dulzura, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:San Diego, CA (SDM)
Destination airport:Benson, AZ (E95)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
During a daytime cross-country flight, the airplane collided with upsloping mountainous terrain while in controlled flight and in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot had departed San Diego, California, in trail behind an acquaintance who was also flying an RV6 airplane. They intended to fly in a loose formation to Arizona, and were communicating with each other via the common air-to-air radio frequency. The lead airplane pilot, who was instrument rated, reported that during his climb scattered and broken clouds were observed, but he eventually climbed on top and had over 3 miles forward visibility. After not hearing from the accident pilot for several minutes, the lead pilot returned to the departure airport, and a search was initiated. The accident pilot was not instrument rated. The accident airplane was found to have crashed about 0.5 miles north of the peak of the Otay Mountain, about 6.7 miles east of the departure airport. The initial point of impact elevation was 2,770 feet mean sea level (msl), and the peak elevation of the mountain was 3,566 feet msl. The departure airport, elevation 526 feet msl, reported its weather, in part, as 10 miles visibility, broken ceiling at 1,600 feet above ground level (agl), and overcast at 2,300 feet agl. An examination of the accident site revealed an estimated 150-foot-long ground swath leading to the main wreckage, which was fragmented and upside down. No evidence of any preimpact malfunction was found. The ground scar was consistent with the airplane having impacted the estimated 15-degree upsloping terrain while in a near wings level flight attitude. A global positioning satellite receiver was found in the wreckage. The last recorded elevation data on the GPS was 2,393 feet msl. The airplane's last position recorded by FAA radar was 3.8 miles west of the crash site, and its last position recorded by GPS was 1.9 miles west of the crash site. The airplane's track, from takeoff to impact, was principally in an easterly direction toward the pilot's destination in Arizona.
Probable Cause: The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with rising mountainous terrain.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX05LA144
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20050503X00540&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
16-Jul-2016 06:38 junior sjc Updated [Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:26 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
19-Feb-2017 07:43 junior sjc Updated [Narrative]
06-Dec-2017 08:06 ASN Update Bot Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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