Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Auburn Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Auburn, California 95602
Saturday, May 18, 2013 18:38 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot's friend reported that he observed the accident airplane enter the airport traffic pattern but that he then diverted his attention to putting his airplane inside a hangar. Shortly after, when the accident airplane had not arrived, he immediately notified local authorities. The airplane wreckage was located the following morning in a heavily wooded area almost directly in line with the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe, flight control system, and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
GPS data revealed that the accident airplane entered the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern and proceeded to turn left onto the base leg and final approach to the runway. The last three GPS data points showed the airplane at a groundspeed of about 64 knots, which was well above the stall speed. The GPS data showed that the airplane was well above the 3-degree glidepath to both the runway threshold and the precision approach path indicator location. Wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with a stall and subsequent spin and a near-vertical impact with terrain. However, the reason for the stall could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during approach to landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent spin.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1838 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Auburn |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95602 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 385721N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1210414W |
| Event Location Airport | Auburn Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AUN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1530 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1835 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AUN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1539 |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KAUN 190135Z AUTO 30004KT 10SM CLR 24/05 A30 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32561 |
| 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 | Apr 10 2014 3:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | cawj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2865C |
| NTSB Number | WPR13FA236 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 170B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 26408 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 21 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3688 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRUCE A RHYMES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SUSANVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96130-3610 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BRUCE A RHYMES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SUSANVILLE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 96130-3610 |
| 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 | Middletown |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1754 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AUN |
| Destination City | Auburn |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2014 2:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 3700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |