Thursday, September 13, 2018

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report: The deadly crash of a Cessna 150L airplane, N10789, at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, California






National Transportation Safety Board


Aviation Accident Preliminary Report


Location: Pacoima, CA Accident Number: WPR18FA249
Date & Time: 09/03/2018, 1710 PDT Registration: N10789
Aircraft: Cessna 150L Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional


On September 3, 2018, about 1710 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150L airplane, N10789,
impacted terrain shortly after take off from the Whiteman Airport (WHP), Los Angeles,
California. The certified flight instructor was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. 


The airplane was registered to N10789 LLC and was operated by Rotor F/X as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local instructional flight. 

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane climbing very slowly with the engine
making a popping noise. The airplane appeared to "stop" before it made a sharp descending left turn. The airplane spun once before it impacted the roof of a building followed by the pavement below.


The airplane has been recovered to a secure location for further examination.


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A man died and a boy was injured after a single-engine plane crashed at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima on Monday afternoon, officials said.


An image from Sky5 shows firefighters on the scene of a small plane crash at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima on Sept. 3, 2018. (Credit: KTLA)

The crash happened about 5:09 p.m. at the facility located at 12653 Osborne St., according to an alert from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

As the Cessna 150L was taking off from the airport, it experienced an unknown problem, and an emergency was declared over the radio, Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said. The aircraft then struck a building and landed upside down, the statement read.

Firefighters were able to extricate both victims who were on board. They were later identified by officials as a 12-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man.

Previously, the Fire Department identified the younger victim as being 13 years old. That may have been the case because a bulldozer crew said he was apparently celebrating his birthday on Monday.

The boy's father, who purchased the flying lesson as a birthday gift for his son, was at the airport and witnessed the crash, according to the crew.

The man—a flight instructor—suffered cardiac arrest and was given CPR before he and the boy were taken to nearby trauma centers, officials said.

The man was in grave condition but later died, a Fire Department spokesperson said. The juvenile was last listed in critical condition, according to the alert.

The Cessna crashed about a half-mile from the departure end of the runway, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

A small fire erupted following the crash, Scott said. The airport houses L.A. County Fire Department equipment and personnel, who also witnessed the crash and were able to quickly extinguish the flames in the engine compartment and render aid, he added.

As soon as the plane took off, it appeared to have some sort of mechanical problem, the fire captain stated. Personnel from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the incident, Gregor said.

The plane was registered in Sheridan, Wyoming, according to FAA records. However, KTLA's Tim Lynn confirmed that the aircraft was based at Whiteman Airport.

KTLA's Brian Day, Sarah Fenton and Meghan McMonigle contributed to this story.

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Narrative:
The aircraft impacted the terrain near the departure end of Runway 12 at Whiteman Airport (KWHP), Pacoima, California. The pilot reported an unknown problem over the radio.
The airplane sustained substantial damage and the two occupants onboard received serious injuries. The pilot died from the injuries sustained in the crash.

Sources:

https://abc7.com/2-critically-injured-after-small-plane-crashes-in-pacoima/4138445/
http://www.foxla.com/news/local-news/two-critically-injured-in-plane-crash-at-whiteman-airport-in-pacoima
https://ktla.com/2018/09/03/2-injured-in-small-plane-crash-at-whiteman-airport-in-pacoima-lafd/
______________________
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=10789
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N10789
Date:03-SEP-2018
Time:17:10
Type:Silhouette image of generic C150 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 150L
Owner/operator:Sale Reported
Registration: N10789
C/n / msn: 15075041
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Whiteman Airport (KWHP), Pacoima, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Whiteman Airport (KWHP)
Destination airport: