Piper PA 28-180 accident near Santa Rosa Valley, CA

On June 4, 2017, a Piper PA 28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Santa Rosa Valley, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

June 4, 2017

Place

Santa Rosa Valley, CA

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-180 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

34.242°N, 118.867°W

NTSB ID

20170604X10441

Official records · WPR17FA120

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Camarillo Airport (CMA) Audio Recording for the Local (Tower) Controller Position (Shelf Item): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Camarillo Airport (CMA) Audio Recording for the Ground Controller Position (Shelf Item): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 4, 2017, about 1529 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N4871L, collided with terrain in a residential neighborhood in Santa Rosa Valley, California. The commercial pilot and passenger, who was the pilot's son, were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was privately owned and was being operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed Camarillo Airport (CMA), Camarillo, California, at 1513. Air traffic control and radar information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the pilot contacted the CMA ground controller at 1506 and requested a right crosswind departure from runway 26. About 3 minutes after takeoff, the pilot was given a traffic advisory for an aircraft 1 mile ahead at the Saticoy Bridge. Radar data indicated that by this time the airplane was at a transponder mode C reported altitude of 1,600 ft and flying northbound. The pilot responded that he had located the traffic, and 1 minute later, the controller issued the pilot a frequency change to the Point Mugu Radar Air Traffic Control Facility for flight following. The pilot acknowledged, but did not contact Point Mugu; there was no further communication recorded with the accident airplane. About 1525, the pilot's daughter was on her horse in an outdoor horse arena 14 miles east of CMA. She was accompanied by two riding instructors; one who was at her side, and a

Probable cause

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while intentionally maneuvering in a steep bank at low altitude, which resulted in an accelerated aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.