Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Jacqueline Cochran Regional A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Borrego Springs, California 92004
Friday, May 7, 2010 9:44 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Representatives of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the CHP pilot was performing traffic surveillance activities with numerous ground units. The officers decided to transfer their activities to another location, and they reported that about 40 minutes after the mission was to be finished, the pilot had not checked in. About 6 hours later, the wreckage of the airplane was located at approximately 1,100 feet mean sea level (msl) on the east face of a 1,500-foot desert mountain. Recorded radar data showed that the autopilot-equipped airplane initially flew along a highway at 1,600 feet msl to the north and then changed direction to the southwest about 20 minutes after the mission was to be finished. The airplane then proceeded on a steady course of 225 degrees magnetic at 1,200 feet msl directly toward rising mountainous terrain. The final radar return occurred 3 minutes later, 1.7 miles northeast of the accident location. The accident location was directly on the extended course line of 225 degrees from the last radar return, at the 1,070-foot elevation level. The pilot’s autopsy report noted severe atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and evidence of a scarring from a prior heart attack. Toxicology testing did not detect any drugs or medications in the tissue evaluated. The pilot had autopsy evidence of severe heart disease, and radar track information was consistent with the autopilot controlling the airplane with an absence of pilot control inputs. There was no indication in the pilot’s medical records that he was aware of any heart disease. The pilot had spinal surgery approximately 1 year prior to the accident, and did have continual intermittent mild to moderate spinal pain, with a recent exacerbation of that pain, but it is unlikely that the pain was sufficiently distracting or impairing to have resulted in the complete absence of control .
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot suffered a sudden incapacitating event as a result of his severe cardiovascular disease.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/7/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 944 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Borrego Springs |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92004 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 330206N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1160706W |
| Event Location Airport | Jacqueline Cochran Regional A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KTRM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 41 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -115 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 102 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KNJK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -42 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 34 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| 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) | 29.9 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27987 |
| NTSB Notification Source | California Highway Patrol |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2011 1:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N663HP |
| NTSB Number | WPR10GA231 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | T206H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | T20608212 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3570 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 5 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 10097 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | OFFICE OF AIR OPERATIONS |
| Aircraft Owner City | WEST SACRAMENTO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95605-1649 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | OFFICE OF AIR OPERATIONS |
| Operator City | SACRAMENTO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95811-0208 |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KTRM |
| Departure City | Thermal |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 715 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KTRM |
| Destination City | Thermal |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2011 1:26PM |
| 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 | -- |