Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Agua Dulce Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Agua Dulce, California 91350
Thursday, October 21, 2010 12:10 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane departed the airport and flew in a northerly direction towards the mountain pass that was along the airplane's planned route of flight to the northeast. About 12 minutes later, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted mountainous terrain at an elevation of 2,690 feet mean sea level (msl). Witnesses reported hearing the airplane overhead moments before the crash, but could not see it through the low clouds, fog, and mist that enveloped the area. The weather at the departing airport (elevation 802 feet) included a broken cloud layer at 1,800 feet and an overcast layer at 2,800 feet. The highest elevation of the mountain pass was 3,200 feet msl with mountain peaks on either side of the pass rising between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. Weather at the accident site at the time was estimated to have been overcast from 3,200 feet (500 feet above ground level) to 4,700 feet. The weather at the nearest airport, which was also next on the airplane's route of flight, 15 miles to the northeast of the mountain pass, had excellent visibility and clear skies. The private pilot did not have an instrument rating. Ethanol was identified in tissue samples obtained from the pilot; however, the toxicology testing could not reliably determine if the ethanol was produced post-mortem or through ingestion. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Witness reports and findings from the wreckage examination are consistent with a loss of control event; and based on the degraded visual reference conditions present about the time of the accident it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The non-instrument-rated pilot's improper decision to continue the flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/21/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1210 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Agua Dulce |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91350 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 343004N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182035W |
| Event Location Airport | Agua Dulce |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KL70 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2660 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KVNY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 802 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| 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) | 28672 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 20 2011 1:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N427MC |
| NTSB Number | WPR11FA021 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CIRRUS DESIGN CORP |
| Aircraft Model | SR-22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0152 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | 1 |
| Passenger Seats | 3 |
| 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 | Feb 5 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 827 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OVATION MANAGEMENT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 318 N CARSON ST STE 206 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CARSON CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89701-4269 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Dale J. Smet |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Canyon Country |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91387 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KVNY |
| Departure City | Van Nuys |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1156 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KP20 |
| Destination City | Parker |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 20 2011 1:22PM |
| 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 | -- |