Point Mugu Nas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Oxnard, California 93033
Wednesday, October 29, 2014 17:11 PDT

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 29, 2014, at 1711 Pacific daylight time, a Hawker Hunter MK.58, single-seat turbojet fighter airplane, registration N332AX, operated by ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company) under contract to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), crashed while on approach to Naval Air Station, Point Mugu (NTD), Oxnard, California (NTD). The sole occupant pilot aboard was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of a contract between ATAC and the United States Navy to provide ATAC operated aircraft to support adversary and electronic warfare training with Carrier Strike Group 15 (CSG15). The airplane was operating as a non-military public aircraft under the provisions of Title 49 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) Sections 40102 and 40125. The accident airplane departed NTD at 1500 as the wingman in a flight of two Hawker Hunters, intending to participate in an adversarial support air defense training exercise off shore in warning area W291. The flight's radio call sign was "ATAC 11"; the accident aircraft was "ATAC 12." The accident occurred during the arrival phase of the flight using the overhead break arrival to land on runway 21. The normal procedure for a flight of two Hawker Hunters to perform an overhead break arrival to runway 21 is for the flight leader to approach the runway break point and to make a left descending 270-degree turn until established on the downwind leg for runway 21. The second Hawker Hunter is to wait a pre-briefed period of time (2-4 seconds) before making the left turn entry. At the initiation of the base leg the pilot is to make a continuous descending 180-degree turn and roll out on final to land on runway 21. The flight was briefed for the arrival to maintain 180-170 knots in the turn, no slower than 160 knots on final with half flaps, or no slower than 150 knots on final with full flaps. Witnesses reported watching both airplanes make the approach and noted that ATAC 12's approach seamed lower and slower than the lead aircraft. ATAC 12 was observed in a left wing low bank followed by the wings rocking from side to side, and then a quick roll to the right when the airplane nosed down and impacted the ground. A video recording of the accident sequence was recovered from a fixed location near the accident site. The recording is consistent with witness statements, and is being analyzed for further detail. The aircraft was equipped with a single Garmin G3X panel-mount glass display, which has primary flight display (PFD) with attitude/directional guidance with electronic engine monitoring and moving map multifunction (MFD) capabilities. The installed configuration recorded 57 parameters at 1-second intervals (1Hz). The data card for the Garmin G3X was recovered at the accident site. The data was recovered and reviewed by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), and it included the entire flight, as well as the previous flights made by the accident pilot. A review of the data recorded for the last 30 seconds of the flight indicated the airspeeds started at 153 knots and decreased to 122.1 knots just before impacting the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The operator reported that the 45-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot held a first-class medical certificate issued on May 21, 2014. It had the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses. The operator reported that the pilot had a total flight time of 3,727.1 hours, and an estimated 15.1 hours in the accident make and model. The pilot had recently retired from the United States Air Force after serving 21 years with a majority of his flight time in F-16's. The pilot was hired by ATAC on September 22, 2014, and started his initial training on September 23, 2014, and had completed training on October 7, 2014. The pilot then reported to ATAC at Point Mugu, Naval Air Station (NAS), Oxnard, to begin his operational training. The accident flight was the pilot's fifth flight with ATAC since reporting from his initial training. The pilot flew one mission on October 28, 2014, totaling 1.8 hours. Records show this was his only completed overhead break arrival. On October 26, 2014, the pilot flew two missions, totaling 3.7 hours, which included one overhead break arrival. On October 23, 2014, the pilot flew one mission totaling 1.8 hours. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The accident site was located in a planted strawberry field located just east of Highway 1 and north of the final approach path to runway 21. Investigators examined the wreckage at the accident scene. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a ground scar with components of the right wing located in the ground scar. The debris path was along a magnetic heading of 290-degrees and was about 325 feet in length. The FIPC was 0.7 NM from the approach end of runway 21, on a magnetic heading of 035 degrees. The engine remained in the fuselage and was visually examined. The engine exhibited signatures consistent with the engine operating at a high power setting at the time of impact. The airframe flight control components were examined on scene with no abnormalities noted. The ejection seat system was examined on scene, and recovered for detailed examination. The results of the ejection seat system indicated that the ejection seat had activated as a result of the ground impact, and not due to pilot intervention.

Not Yet Reported