Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Santa Paula, California 93060
Sunday, July 3, 1994 8:10 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE DEPARTING FOR A SHORT FLIGHT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. A PILOT EXAMINER WITNESS STATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS ABOUT 600 FOOT OVERCAST WITH ABOUT .50 MILE VISIBILITY. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT HE WAS USING HIS WINDSHIELD WIPERS DUE TO THE HEAVY MIST. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING UNUSUAL SOUNDS FROM AN AIRPLANE IN THE OVERCAST. THEY THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE SPIRALING OUT OF THE OVERCAST WITH A WING MISSING. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. SOME AREAS IN THIS NARROW VALLEY LOCATION WERE REPORTED TO BE IN THE CLEAR. THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD PANEL SEPARATED AT MIDSPAN WITH EVIDENCE OF A POSITIVE OR UPWARDS LOAD. THE LEFT AILERON WAS NOT FOUND AT THE TIME OF THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AILERON WAS RECOVERED. THE WING HINGE FITTINGS FROM THE SEPARATED AILERON WERE METALLURGICALLY EXAMINED. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THERE WERE EXISTING CRACKS AT THE INBOARD LOWER AILERON ATTACH POINT AT THE WING REAR SPAR. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FITTINGS HAD PULLED OUT FROM THE AILERON SPAR DURING THE WING OVERLOAD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the noninstrument-rated pilot's intentional VFR flight into IMC conditions and the resultant in-flight loss of control.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/3/1994
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 810
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SANTA PAULA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93060
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 810
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 60
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 600
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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) 1912
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 3 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 11:43AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9300A
NTSB Number LAX94FA271
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 195A
Aircraft Series Identifier 195A
Aircraft Serial Number 7514
Certified Max Gross Weight 3350
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 3000
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LIRES,JOHN F. DOLAN,JOHN W.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 12186 OJAI RD.
Aircraft Owner City OJAI
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93023
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHN F. LIRES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 12186 OJAI RD.
Operator City OJAI
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 93023
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
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 SZP
Departure City
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 805
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code L01
Destination City LLANO
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --