Salinas Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Salinas, California 93905
Friday, June 1, 2012 10:59 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Witnesses reported that the airplane accelerated down the runway, and immediately after takeoff the nose pitched up, and the airplane stalled, rolled, pitched down, and impacted the ground nose first. A postaccident examination of the flight control surfaces revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The forensic pathologist who performed the postmortem examination of the pilot reported that the pilot experienced a sudden cardiac event as a result of coronary artery atherosclerosis while piloting the airplane. The cardiac event is commonly associated with sudden unexpected death and would have resulted in incapacitation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inability to maintain airplane control during takeoff due to an incapacitating cardiac event.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/1/2012
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1059
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Salinas
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93905
Event Date Year 2012
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 363946N
Event Location Longitude 1213636W
Event Location Airport Salinas Municipal Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID KSNS
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 85
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1101 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID KSNS
Elevation of weather observation facility 85
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
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) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.89
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report KSNS 011801Z 30008KT 10SM SKC 18/11 A2989KSNS 0117
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) 32010
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 Nov 7 2013 5:58PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N125CW
NTSB Number WPR12LA241
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Unknown
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name WESTCOTT
Aircraft Model PROWLER JAGUAR
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 0012
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats 1
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats 1
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
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 WESTCOTT CHARLES R
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City CARMEL
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93923-8407
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name WESTCOTT CHARLES R
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City CARMEL
Operator State CA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 93923-8407
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code KSNS
Departure City Salinas
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code KSNS
Destination City Salinas
Destination State CA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 7 2013 5:58PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26
Runway Length 6000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --