Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tracy Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pioneer, California 95644
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 15:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the personal flight, the airplane impacted mountainous terrain. The witness marks and debris field were consistent with an in-flight collision with trees and terrain. Weather information available for the time of the accident showed suspended precipitation and/or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) near the accident site and the potential for icing in the accident area. The airplane’s altitude could not be identified on radar; therefore, it could not be determined whether the airplane was flying in frozen, liquid, or a mixed-phase of precipitation at the time of the accident. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane likely impacted terrain due to the pilot’s decision to continue flight into IMC at an insufficient altitude to clear terrain.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions at an insufficient altitude to clear terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Pioneer |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95644 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383106N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1201353W |
| Event Location Airport | TRACY MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TCY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 76 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 49 |
| Airport Elevation | 193 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1555 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CXP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4705 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 48 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| 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) | 29.81 |
| 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) | 32805 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP 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 | Jun 26 2014 6:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N121J |
| NTSB Number | WPR11FA230 |
| 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 | CAMERON |
| Aircraft Model | LANCAIR LEGACY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | L2K-232 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TUMBLEWEED INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MINDEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89423-4465 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | TUMBLEWEED INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MINDEN |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89423-4465 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | Minden |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Tracy |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 26 2014 6:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |