Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Big Bear City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Big Bear City, California 92314
Saturday, June 21, 2008 10:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that after a longer-than-normal takeoff roll, the airplane lifted off the runway with a climb rate of about 300 to 400 feet per minute. As the airplane passed the end of the runway, climb performance suddenly decreased and the airplane started to descend. The pilot verified the throttle and propeller control positions, advanced the mixture to full rich, and applied 20 degrees of flaps as the airplane continued to descend. The pilot stated that due to trees and residential structures within the immediate area, he decided to initiate a controlled landing in a lake as close to the shoreline as possible. Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane tail first in the water, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe. He added that at the time of the accident, the airplane was about 190 pounds under the maximum gross weight. The density altitude was calculated to be 9,100 feet mean sea level and the pressure altitude was claculated as 6,328 feet msl. Using the calculated pressure altitude, density altitude, aircraft's maximum gross weight, and reported weather conditions, a representative from the airframe manufacturer calculated that the airplane should have attained a climb rate of approximately 500 feet per minute at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed that led to a stall/mush. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for an off airport landing and a high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/21/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Big Bear City |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92314 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341545N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1165211W |
| Event Location Airport | Big Bear City Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L35 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6752 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1011 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | L35 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6752 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| 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) | 30.38 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25088 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 21 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2009 4:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Riverside FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N758DH |
| NTSB Number | LAX08LA187 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | R172K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | R1723009 |
| 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 | Mar 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 2305 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Harold D. Patterson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Diego |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92116 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Harold D. Patterson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | San Diego |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92116 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | L35 |
| Departure City | BIG BEAR |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SEE |
| Destination City | SAN DIEGO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2009 4:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |