Rockwell International Aero-Commander 112TC accident near Santa Nella, CA
On June 9, 2003, a Rockwell International Aero-Commander 112TC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Nella, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 9, 2003
- Place
- Santa Nella, CA
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International Aero-Commander 112TC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.046°N, 121.259°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030618X00901
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 9, 2003, about 0900 Pacific daylight time, a Rockwell International Aero-Commander 112TC, N4696W, collided with mountainous terrain approximately 7 miles west of Santa Nella, California. The airplane was operated by the private pilot and owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot received fatal injuries and the on board certified flight instructor (CFI) received serious injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight originated at Reid-Hillview Airport, San Jose, California, around 0830. The pilot rated passenger, who has a CFI certificate, and was in the hospital recovering from severe burns, spoke to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector 43 days after the accident. He said there might have been a fire on the left side of the airplane but he couldn't recall the details because it happened too fast. They were following Highway 152 and were prepared to call for an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance if the visibility got worse. He could not recall the airplane's flight altitude or configuration because he was not the one flying. The CFI then spoke to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator 71 days after the accident. He said that they were en route to Castle Airport, Merced, California, for the airplane owner's commercial check ride. They were to meet the FAA examiner at Castle Airport. The CFI had flown a number of flights during the previous week, performing his CFI role, with the owner in preparation for the che
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by conducting VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were low clouds, fog, and mountainous terrain.
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Browse: California · Rockwell International aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
