Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Compton/Woodley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Compton, California 90220
Friday, January 23, 2004 9:53 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After encountering downwash induced wake vortices from a helicopter, the airplane rolled over and impacted terrain while on short final approach. The pilot of the airplane was performing practice touch-and-go takeoffs and landings at the airport and made a radio transmission stating his intentions. A police helicopter pilot was on a 2-mile straight in approach for the same runway, and made a radio transmission stating his intentions. While on final approach for the runway, with the airplane pilot beginning a flare about 8 feet above ground level, the police helicopter's pilot was attempting a practice autorotation and descended in front of the airplane. At the last moment, the airplane's pilot saw the helicopter and made an abrupt turn to the right in an attempt to execute a go-around. The airplane rolled over inverted and impacted terrain. The helicopter pilot stated he never saw the airplane or heard the pilot's radio transmissions. Federal Aviation Regulations state that "when two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right of way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land, or to overtake that aircraft." (14 CFR 91.113)
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
both pilots' failure to see and avoid one another that resulted in the airplane's encounter with downwash induced wake vortices from the helicopter, and the airplane pilot's subsequent loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/23/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 953 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Compton |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90220 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335324N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1181462W |
| Event Location Airport | Compton/Woodley Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CPM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 97 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 60 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.15 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -68 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 17980 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 23 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-LAX-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N64EC |
| NTSB Number | LAX04LA106 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cox Thorpe |
| Aircraft Model | T-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1119 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Roy Medan |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | On File |
| Aircraft Owner City | Carson |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90746 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | CPM |
| Departure City | Compton |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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 | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2005 4:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25R |
| Runway Length | 3322 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |