RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CNS) — A student pilot fatally injured in a fiery airplane crash in Hemet declared that his engine had quit just prior to the accident, leading to an attempted emergency landing that resulted in the single-engine plane bounding over a road and plowing into a retaining wall, according to a federal report released Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary findings on the June 7 crash near Hemet-Ryan Airport pointed to a power loss during a touch- and-go maneuver, as well as the aviator’s unsuccessful forced landing, as apparent factors behind what happened.
Federal investigators said the victim, whose identity has not been released, flew the low-wing Beechcraft 77 Skipper solo from Redlands Municipal Airport to Hemet-Ryan Airport — about 20 miles — to run a series of touch-and- goes that morning. Touch-and-go maneuvers involve landing an aircraft on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop.
The student pilot’s plans had been approved by his instructor, whose identity was not disclosed. The plane’s owner was identified in Federal Aviation Administration records as Joseph Scarcella, who operates Scarcella Aviation Corp. at Redlands.
According to the NTSB, it was the victim’s second solo trip to Hemet- Ryan. Witnesses said he was using Runway 23 and completed two touch-and-goes, but at about 9:30 a.m., he executed a missed approach for unknown reasons.
A witness told the NTSB that the airman “did not touch down on the runway and remained about 30 feet above ground level.”
“Shortly after, a distress call was transmitted over the (airport) frequency stating, `I’m declaring an emergency, loss of power,”‘ the report stated. “The witness recalled that the airplane made a left turn and touched down on the soft dirt surface of a plowed vegetation field.”
Investigators identified markings indicating that the two-seat Beech bounced twice in the dirt field just south of the airport and at one point rolled 660 feet in the dirt, steering to the right. The airplane then bounded across Warren Road and struck a cinder block wall to the rear of a residence at Warren and Mustang Way.
“The airplane’s engine, cabin, left wing root and the right wing breached the retaining wall and sustained thermal damage,” according to the NTSB.
The plane was loaded with avgas in both wings, and that fuel ignited in the crash.
Hemet Fire Department and Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within a few minutes and found the homeowner using a garden hose in an attempt to prevent the flames from extending to his residence, according to officials.
The pilot was pulled from the aircraft and taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment of extensive burns and other injuries, from which he did not recover. There was no word from authorities on specifically when he succumbed to the injuries.
Firefighters knocked down the fire within a few minutes. The house was not fire-damaged.
Hemet-Ryan Airport, which is county-owned, serves as a Cal Fire air attack base, with crews operating out of the location year-round. It’s also a popular recreational aerodrome, with general aviation enthusiasts in and out of the location daily. Glider activity is also common there.
The NTSB’s final report on the crash may not be released for another two years.