California City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

California City, California 93505
Thursday, June 4, 1987 6:44 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE, A CIVILIAN DOUGLAS A4A, WAS ENGAGED IN FILMING A COMMERCIAL WHICH REQUIRED THE PLT TO FLY OVER A FERRARI VEHICLE. THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED A LOW FILMING PASS OVER THE VEHICLE AND WAS CIRCLING THE AREA WHILE THE FILM CREW WAS PREPARING FOR ANOTHER LOW PASS OVER THE VEHICLE. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A SHALLOW DESCENT AND ROLLED INTO INVERTED FLIGHT. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, WHILE INVERTED, AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO CARTWHEEL. THE MAIN FUSELAGE AREA WAS FOUND ABOUT 2000 FEET FROM THE INITIAL WING IMPACT POINT. THE POST ACCIDENT WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DSCLSD NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. NO MEDICAL EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE ANY CONDITION TO IMPAIR THE PLT. THE PLT HAD ATTEMPTED TO EJECT FROM THE ACFT. THE SEAT HAD FIRED AND THE SEAT WAS FOUND 52 FT NORTH OF THE FUSELAGE AREA. THE PLTS PARACHUTE HAD DEPLOYED AND WAS FOUND ADJACENT TO THE COCKPIT AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/4/1987
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 644
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City CALIFORNIA CITY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93505
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CALIFORNIA CITY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID L71
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 2437
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 650 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 137
Weather Observation Facility ID EDW
Elevation of weather observation facility 2302
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 45
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
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) 30
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2590
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 4 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37454
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N444AV
NTSB Number LAX87FA225
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 Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name DOUGLAS
Aircraft Model A-4A
Aircraft Series Identifier A-4A
Aircraft Serial Number 14219
Certified Max Gross Weight 26000
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 2 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 14
Airframe Hours 1222
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ADVANCED AERONAUTICAL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3158 REDHILL AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City COSTA MESA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92646
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ADVANCED AERONAUTICAL ENTPRISE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 3158 REDHILL AVENUE
Operator City COSTA MESA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92646
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) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MHV
Departure City MOJAVE
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 622
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 --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --