Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Montgomery Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
El Cajon, California 92020
Friday, July 13, 2007 17:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Radar data disclosed that the pilot flew the airplane from the departure airport toward the accident site, with the last recorded target at 610 feet above ground level (agl) over rising mountainous terrain. The floor of the radar coverage in the area was about 200 feet agl. The accident site was located at an elevation of about 2,293 feet mean sea level (msl) on the slope of a bowl-shaped box canyon about 25 nautical miles (nm) from the departure airport. In character, the canyon and surrounding hills were steeply sloped, averaging between 60 to 80 degrees, with the tops of the canyon terrain about 700 feet higher than the accident site elevation and 1,000 feet laterally in front of the wreckage. An analysis of the airplane's climb performance capability found that a lateral distance of 2 miles would be required to climb 700 feet. Ground scar analysis, impact signatures, and wreckage fragmentation patterns disclosed that the airplane impacted in a descending steep vertical nose down attitude traveling downslope. The impact geometry was consistent with the airplane encountering an accelerated stall while attempting a course reversal in the canyon. The width of the canyon immediately surrounding the wreckage measured about 1,250 feet. With a turn radius of 637.5 feet, and airspeed of 99 knots (maneuvering speed), the bank angle required for the airplane to complete a 180-degree turn was a minimum of 55 degrees. According to stall speed versus angle of bank data, the stall speed would be 55 knots at 55 degrees of bank. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure was found during a post accident examination of the airplane and engine. The pilot had accumulated 75 hours total flight experience, of which about 2 hours was in the same make and model as the accident airplane and acquired in the location of the departure airport.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to attempt low altitude flight operations into a box canyon in mountainous terrain, and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering to reverse direction, which led to an accelerated stall and spin.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/13/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | El Cajon |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92020 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335823N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1164108W |
| Event Location Airport | Montgomery Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MYF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 427 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1395 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23183 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 14 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 31 2008 11:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Diego, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N38137 |
| NTSB Number | LAX07FA219 |
| 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 | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7790522 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 10288 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | National Air College, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3760 Glenn Curtis Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Diego |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92123 |
| 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 | MYF |
| Departure City | San Diego |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1701 |
| 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 | Feb 28 2008 4:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |