Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Carlsbad, California 92009
Sunday, April 29, 2007 9:46 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

After takeoff on runway 24, air traffic control instructed the pilot to climb and maintain 5,000 feet, turn to a heading of 060 degrees, and proceed direct to a navigation aid. The pilot acknowledged the controller's instruction. Approximately 2 minutes later, the controller asked what the pilot was doing and there was no response. A witness observed the airplane coming out of the base of a 700-foot overcast cloud layer in a steep nose down attitude just before it impacted the ocean. The airplane and the pilot were not recovered from the water. According to acquaintances, the pilot had recently began to get into flying again. On a medical certificate dated 4 months prior to the accident, the pilot reported 0 flight hours in the preceding 6 months. The pilot's flight time records were not located and the investigation could not establish the pilot's recent flying experience or instrument currency. According to the weather observations and reports, the tops of the overcast layer were 2,000 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/29/2007
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 946
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Carlsbad
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92009
Event Date Year 2007
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 330607N
Event Location Longitude 1172120W
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID CRQ
Elevation of weather observation facility 328
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 15
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.01
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 23757
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Apr 29 2007 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jun 30 2008 11:48AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\johb
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office WP-FSDO-San Diego, CA

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N97287
NTSB Number LAX07LA140
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 182Q
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 18267043
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 3137
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Kochert Leroy F- Trustee
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Phoenix
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85044
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 No
Departure Airport Code CRQ
Departure City CARLSBAD
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 943
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CHD
Destination City CHANDLER
Destination State AZ
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Climb - to cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 6 2008 4:05PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --