N3525TCessna 182T · 2001

On February 6, 2018, about 0654 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182T airplane, N3525T, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Santee, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot filed a visual flight rules flight plan departing from Gillespie Field Airport (SEE), El Cajon, California, at 0645, with a destination of Elko Regional Airport, Elko, Nevada. The airplane departed runway 27R. Four witnesses in the surrounding area reported low-level fog, and one witness reported visibility about 1 mile. A video recorded by a witness showed the airplane in a climb enter fog, and a short time later, it reappeared exiting the fog in a descending left turn headed in an easterly direction toward the airport. The nose of the airplane pitched up, but the airplane continued to descend out of view of the camera and below the rooftops of several buildings. The airplane impacted a glass industrial storage facility about 3/4 mile west from the airport.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chart supplement, the SEE control tower opened at 0700 and was not in operation at the time the airplane departed; however, an off-duty air traffic controller in the tower witnessed the accident and called 911.

One witness, a pilot who was performing a preflight check on his airplane at the time, reported that he heard the accident airplane start up and watched as it took off from runway 27R. He stated that the airplane departed the runway surface before the intersecting runway and appeared to have pitched to a higher than typical climb rate, similar to a takeoff at the maximum rate of climb, and the engine sounded normal while in the climb. The witness estimated that the accident airplane entered the fog bank about 500 ft AGL. Shortly thereafter, he heard a drastic increase in the airplane's engine rpm.

One witness near the accident site reported that he heard the engine suddenly turn off and saw the airplane rock back and forth while another witness stated that the engine sputtered when the accident airplane was flying north. Witnesses reported that when the airplane was turning east, which was back toward the airport, it had a nose-high attitude. One witness at the accident site storage yard observed the airplane about 100 ft AGL as it descended in a nose down and left-wing low attitude to ground impact.

According to the pilot's most recent airmen medical certificate dated April 29, 2016, the pilot reported a total of 50 flight hours, none of which were in the previous 6 months.

The pilot's logbook revealed that he had logged 62.6 total hours of simulated instrument time, 6.4 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 1.6 hours within 90 days of the accident, but the pilot did not have any actual instrument time.

The pilot received a preflight weather briefing at 0502, which included an AIRMET for the San Diego area that was current at the time of briefing and pertinent to the proposed route of flight. The AIRMET, issued at 0045, advised of ceilings below 1,000 ft mean sea level (MSL) and visibilities below 3 statute miles with mist. The briefer indicated that the area forecast for the coastal sections of Southern California was, "…tops are expected around 1,500 ft…"

The airplane impacted a flatbed cargo trailer in a storage lot on a heading of 060° and traveled about 30 ft before it came to rest on a heading of 240° at an elevation of 348 ft MSL

A postaccident examination of the airplane established flight control continuity. The flap indicator and flap handle both indicated 10°; however, the flap actuator indicated that the flap was retracted. The fuel selector handle was in the "BOTH" position and the fuel boost pump was in the "OFF" position. Fuel obtained from the fuel strainer bowl was free of debris and was blue in color. The fuel strainer screen was removed and was free of debris.

The fuel flow divider remained secure in its mounting bracket at the top of the engine; all fuel lines remained secure at each flow divider fitting and at the fuel injector on each cylinder. The component was not damaged or obstructed, the diaphragm was intact and pliable, and the fuel injectors were free of debris.

First responders noted puddles of fuel under the left wing. During recovery of the airplane, fuel drained from the right wing.

The attitude indicator appeared undamaged except for the face plate. The component was disassembled and there was no internal damage and no signs of rotation or scoring observed on the drum or walls. The heading on the horizontal situation indicator matched the wreckage path heading.

The lower portion of the firewall was pushed upward and aft into the cabin area. A visual examination of the engine revealed no holes in the engine case. The engine had sustained damage to the bottom during the accident sequence, and the exhaust system and muffler had been displaced. The signatures on the top spark plugs were consistent with normal operation. After the top vacuum pump was removed, the crankshaft through the drive pad were manually rotated, and mechanical continuity was established throughout the rotating components, valve train, and accessory section. The engine was equipped with two vacuum pumps, both drive shafts were intact and rotated without any binding.

A borescope examination of the cylinders revealed no foreign object debris and their operating signatures were consistent with normal operation. The exhaust system and muffler exhibited no obstructions.

The right magneto was set to 25° before top dead center, secured at its mounting flange, and undamaged. The left magneto could not be timed to the engine due to a broken mounting flange. When the magnetos were removed and manually rotated, each magneto produced spark at their respective plug leads.

The oil filter was free of debris.

All three propeller blades were fully separated from the hub, and a portion of the fractured propeller hub remained attached to the engine. All three propeller blades had leading-edge damage; two of the blades had leading-edge nicks and gouge marks, torsional twisting, and chordwise striations across the cambered surface. Two of the propeller blades were missing portions of their tips.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

The County of San Diego Medical Examiner's Department, San Diego, California, performed an autopsy of the pilot and reported the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.

The FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicology testing of the pilot, which were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested-for drugs.

Two unrestrained dogs were on board at the time of the accident.