Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Trona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Trona, California 93562
Saturday, April 24, 1999 21:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot flew over a campground at an altitude that was less than 100 feet. The pilot and several friends subsequently visited the campground. One of the female campers asked for an airplane ride, and this pilot volunteered. The airplane made three passes directly over the campground; each pass was successively lower. The altitude was estimated at less than 100 feet for all three passes. The sun had set, and the airplane appeared in silhouette as it passed by. After the third pass, the airplane was observed to make a hard right turn and angle down. A sun and moon computer program determined there was 75 percent illumination of the moon and civil twilight was at 2033. No discrepancies were found with the airplane or engine. Positive results for amitriptyline and nortriptyline were obtained from blood and liver samples. The doctor who prescribed this medication was not the pilot's Aviation Medical Examiner. The doctor told the Safety Board Medical Officer the patient had not reported any daytime sedation due to this medication. The doctor was not aware his patient was a pilot. FAA Aviation Medical Examiners are instructed (1996 Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners, page 21) to defer certification to the FAA Aeromedical Certification division for any airman on "mood-ameliorating" medication. A certified copy of the pilot's application for a medical certificate did not list amitriptyline in block 17 "Do you currently use any medication (Prescription or Nonprescription)."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate terrain clearance altitude while performing intentional low altitude passes over a campground.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/24/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2130 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | TRONA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93562 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | TRONA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L72 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 140 |
| Airport Elevation | 1716 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2151 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 235 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IYK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2151 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11303 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 24 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1047 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2002 2:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N80720 |
| NTSB Number | LAX99FA162 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Globe |
| Aircraft Model | GC-1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | GC-1B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 123 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1710 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 20 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 2910 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ALAN STEWART |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SACRAMENTO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95841 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | L72 |
| Departure City | TRONA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | -- |
| Departure Time | 2120 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2001 5:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |