N5174XChampion 7ECA · 1969

On April 18, 2009, about 1006 Pacific daylight time, a Champion 7ECA airplane, N5174X, was substantially damaged when it impacted mountainous terrain near San Jose, California. The airplane was registered to and 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. The commercial pilot and pilot rated passenger were killed. The cross-country flight originated from Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI), Watsonville, California, about 0945, with an intended destination of Wilton, California.

According to family members of the pilot, the pilot and passenger flew to Watsonville the morning of the accident in separate airplanes to drop off the passenger's airplane for maintenance. The pilot and passenger were then to return to Wilton in the accident airplane.

Family members of the pilot contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the evening of April 18, 2009, after becoming concerned when the pilot had not arrived at his intended destination. The FAA subsequently issued an Alert Notification at 2145. The Santa Clara County Sheriff commenced search and rescue operations throughout the area of the pilot's intended flight path. The wreckage was located by Santa Clara County Sheriff aerial units the morning of April 19, 2009 within mountainous terrain near the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton.

There were no known witnesses to the accident sequence.

The pilot, age 53, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. A second-class airman medical certificate was issued June 23, 2008, with the limitation stated "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot reported on his most recent medical certificate application that he had accumulated 3,500 total flight hours. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed that as of the most recent entry, dated December 25, 2008, he had accumulated a total of 3,443.8 hours of flight time.

The pilot rated passenger, age 49, held a private pilot license with an airplane single-engine land rating. The passenger was issued a third-class medical certificate on November 28, 2007, with no restrictions. The passenger reported that at the time of his most recent medical certificate application that he had accumulated 900 total flight hours.

The two-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number (S/N) 681, was manufactured in 1969. It was powered by a Lycoming O-235-C1 engine, rated at 115 horsepower, driving a two-bladed metal fixed-pitch propeller. The aircraft logbooks were not located during the investigation.

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station at the San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Jose, California, located 15 miles west of the accident site, at an of elevation 62 feet, revealed at 1053 conditions were wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 18 degrees Celsius, dew point 10 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of Mercury.

Weather data provided by the Lick Observatory revealed that on the day of the accident, the recorded high temperature was 65 degrees Fahrenheit with clear sky throughout the day.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest in a near vertical attitude within brush and scrub oak trees on an approximate 40 degree incline at an elevation of approximately 3,467 feet mean sea level. Wreckage debris remained within five feet of the main wreckage. No damage to the surrounding scrub oak trees or brush was observed. Rising terrain was noted within all quadrants surrounding the accident site.

The left and right wings remained attached to the fuselage and exhibited leading edge crushing throughout their entire span. The left and right ailerons remained attached to their respective mounts. The forward area of the fuselage was crushed upwards and aft and heavily damaged. The fuselage structure and floorboard were crushed aft and buckled. The instrument panel was impact damaged. The engine was displaced aft and located underneath the instrument panel. The propeller was separated from the crankshaft and was observed underneath the engine. The empennage remained intact and undamaged. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were intact and undamaged. The horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached with no damage noted. A strong aroma of automotive fuel was present at the accident site. Liquid was observed dripping out of the left wing fuel cap. Both the left and right fuel caps were in place and secure.

Flight control continuity was established from the forward and aft cockpit controls to all primary flight control surfaces. The rudder and elevator control cables were separated from the control column and rudder pedals. The separated areas of the cables exhibited broom straw signatures, consistent with overload. The aileron cables were intact and remained connected to a separated portion of the aft control column. The fracture surface of the separated portion of the control column was consistent with overload.

Examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.

Examination of the recovered Lycoming O-235-C1 engine, serial number L-9693-15, revealed that the propeller, starter ring gear, carburetor, and right magneto were displaced from the engine. The top plugs, rocker box covers, vacuum pump and left magneto were removed. The crankshaft was manually rotated by hand using a drive tool at an accessory pad. Thumb compression was obtained on all four cylinders and continuity was established throughout the engine. The left and right magneto produced spark on all leads when rotated by hand. The left magneto impulse coupling engaged when the left magneto drive shaft was rotated.

The two-bladed fixed pitch propeller was separated from the engine crankshaft flange. The propeller blades remained attached at the hub. One of the propeller blades exhibited moderate leading edge damage and chordwise striations across the cambered surface. The opposing blade was bent aft slightly.

Examination of the recovered engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction.

The Santa Clara County Coroner conducted an autopsy on the pilot on April 20, 2009. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was “multiple blunt force injuries.”

The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. According to CAMI's report, carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drugs were tested, and had negative results.

The Santa Clara County Coroner conducted an autopsy on the pilot rated passenger on April 20, 2009. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was “multiple blunt force injuries.”

The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot rated passenger. According to CAMI's report, carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drugs were tested, and had positive results for an unspecified level of Cetrizine within the urine, and unspecified levels of Naproxen within the urine and blood.

A handheld global positioning system (GPS), Garmin GPSMAP 496 was recovered from the airplane. The unit was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Office of Research and Engineering Recorders Laboratory for data extraction. The data revealed a flight track from the day of the accident showed the flight's departure from runway 20 at WVI, followed by a climbing left turn. The data revealed that for the next 7 minutes, the airplane established a north-northeasterly heading, consistent with a direct course toward Wilton, California and climbed to a cruise altitude of about 3,000 feet. The flight continued on a north-northeasterly heading around 3,000 feet for 12 minutes. Ground speeds for this portion of the flight fluctuated between 82 miles per hour (mph) and 102 mph. Shortly thereafter, the airplane changed course to the right towards Mount Hamilton and began a climb from 2,948 feet and a ground speed of 93 mph through a canyon area. The airplane continued climbing for the next 2 minutes to an altitude of 3,440 feet and a ground speed of 70 mph as it initiated a left turn to a northerly heading towards rising terrain. Thirteen seconds later, recorded data showed the airplane at an altitude of 3,571 feet and a ground speed of 58 mph on a heading of 313 degrees true. The last recorded track three seconds later, was about 263 feet southeast of the accident site at an elevation of 3,586 feet, and contained no ground speed or heading information.