N2181KRochlin Paul Jr RANS S6ES · 1994

On July 1, 2016, about 0920 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Rans S6ES airplane, N2181K, impacted terrain about 1 and 1/2 miles north of the Bryant Field Airport (O57), Bridgeport, California. The private pilot was seriously injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to the pilot who was operating it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the cross country flight. The flight originated from Auburn Municipal Airport (AUN), Auburn, California at 0810 and was destined for O57.

The pilot reported in a written statement, that when nearing his destination, he flew over his parent's home, to let them know that he was landing at the airport, and for them to pick him up there. After passing over the home, with the intention of landing at O57, he turned sharply to the right, then he remembers the ground coming up into view. The pilot then reported "the wing stalled" in the turn and there was not enough altitude to recover. The pilot concluded that he should have made a shallower turn towards the lake to avoid the steeper terrain. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1-Aerial View of the Accident Site

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class airman medical certificate was issued to the pilot on February 13, 2015, with a limitation that he must wear corrective lenses for distant vision and have glasses for near vision. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 930 hours of flight experience. He also reported 175 hours in the accident airplane, of which 30 were in the last 90 days.

The pilot reported calm wind, visibility 30 miles, clear sky and a temperature of 10°C at the time of the accident. At 0915, the Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), Mammoth Lakes, California, automated weather observation station, located about 43 miles south of the accident site, reported wind 120o at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 23°C, dew point 6°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury.

An FAA inspector documented and photographed the accident site. The first identified point of contact was an area of disturbed dirt and impact marks with the ground on the southwest facing sloped terrain. The impact marks were about 15 ft from the main wreckage and were consistent with the airplane colliding with the terrain in a nose down attitude. Both wing leading edges had impact damage consistent with ground impact. The left wing side strut separated from its lower attachment and the left wing was folded over on top of the right wing. The engine and its mounting assembly had impact damage and was crushed upwards. No anomalies were reported during the examination of the wreckage.