NTSB Factual Report

On January 12, 1996, at 0338 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 150, N18106, collided with level terrain in a pasture about 1 mile east of Travis AFB, Fairfield, California. The airplane was destroyed and the private pilot and passenger received fatal injuries. The airplane was rented from the Buchanan Flying Club, Concord, California, and was being operated by the pilot as a personal flight. The flight originated from the Napa County Airport, Napa, California, about 0200 hours. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.

At 0235 hours, the pilot contacted the Travis AFB approach control. The pilot was unable to land at Buchanan Field due to weather. He requested a radar vector to the Rio Vista Airport located about 12 miles east of Travis AFB. Travis AFB approach controller vectored the pilot over the Rio Vista Airport, but the pilot was unable to see the airport.

The pilot then requested from the Travis controller a vector to another airport and indicated the weather south of him was instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The Travis controller informed the pilot that the Davis Airport was 15 miles to the northwest and the Sacramento Executive Airport was 15 miles to the north. The pilot decided to go to the Sacramento Executive Airport. The controller told the pilot to expect to be handed off to Sacramento approach control and to fly heading of three six zero and to maintain visual flight rules (VFR).

The Travis controller then informed the pilot the Sacramento Executive Airport was operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) and the weather was indefinite ceiling and zero visibility. The controller informed the pilot that most of the airports in the area were fogged in and requested the pilot to state his intentions.

At 0256 hours, the pilot reported he was low on fuel and indicated he would like to land at Sacramento. The controller then coordinated with Sacramento TRACON and Stockton air traffic control tower to see if there were any VFR airports in the area.

At 0258 hours, the pilot contacted the Travis controller and indicated that he was at an altitude of 2,000 feet, above the fog, and that the weather appeared to be clearing to the north-northeast. The controller told the pilot to contact Sacramento Approach and expect an IFR approach.

At 0300 hours, the pilot contacted the Sacramento TRACON. The Sacramento Tracon controller informed the pilot the weather at Sacramento Executive Airport was: indefinite ceiling; zero sky; observed visibility 1/8 of a mile; wind one five zero at four; and the altimeter three zero two four. The weather at the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport was: indefinite ceiling; one hundred sky obscured; visibility 1/8 of a mile, fog, wind calm; altimeter three zero two four.

The Sacrametro TRACON controller asked the pilot to state his intentions. The pilot stated he wanted to be brought in. The Sacramento TRACON Controller indicated to the pilot that the Sacramento Executive Airport was closer, and to advise him when he was ready to copy his IFR clearance. The pilot responded by stating the airplane was not IFR equipped. The Sacramento TRACON controller told the pilot the airport was 11 miles, the airport is IFR, and to stand by a second.

The pilot then asked the controller to give him the VOR frequency and that he could "pick that up." The Sacramento TRACON controller then cleared the pilot to proceed direct to the Sacramento VOR. The pilot then asked for the VOR radio frequency.

At 0303 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller asked the pilot if he had any IFR training and the pilot acknowledged he had. The Sacramento TRACON controller then asked the pilot if he could track a localizer if given a radar vector. The pilot acknowledged he could.

At 0304 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller asked the pilot how much fuel he had remaining and the pilot indicated he had 15 minutes. According to the Sacramento TRACON controller, the airplane was about 8 miles from the Sacramento Executive Airport at this time.

At 0305 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller asked the pilot if he had the instrument landing system (ILS) approach plate for the Sacramento Executive Airport. The pilot stated he did not. The Sacramento TRACON controller then assigned the pilot a 360-degree heading to intercept the localizer course followed by the localizer frequency.

At 0308 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller asked the pilot if he was established on the localizer course. The pilot replied, "negative." The Sacramento TRACON controller then issued to the pilot a 350-degree vector to intercept the localizer. At 1112 hours, the pilot reported seeing light on the ground and asked the Sacramento TRACON controller if he could descend. The Sacramento TRACON controller told the pilot he could descend under VFR at his discretion.

At 0313 hours, the pilot asked the Sacramento TRACON controller where he was positioned. The Sacramento TRACON controller informed the pilot he was over the airport. The pilot indicated that the airplane's altitude was 1,200 feet msl, above IMC, and he wasunable to see the ground.

The Sacramento TRACON controller asked the pilot if he would like to attempt another localizer approach to the Sacramento Executive Airport. The pilot agreed to another approach. At 0314 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller issued the pilot a 180-degree heading and instructed him to maintain 1,300 feet msl.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento TRACON controller started coordinating to handoff the pilot for a radar controlled approach to Travis AFB. Travis AFB was closed at the time because weather was below minimums with 1/16 mile visibility due to fog. Permission for a civilian aircraft to land on the military facility had to be coordinated throughTravis approach control with Travis AFB operations.

At 0318 hours, the Sacramento TRACON controller informed the pilot that his position was 15 miles from Travis AFB. The controller also informed the pilot that radar approaches were available at Travis AFB and asked the pilot if he would like a radar vector to Travis AFB. The pilot acknowledged the controller's suggestion and accepted a radar vector to Travis AFB.

At 0323 hours, the pilot contacted the Travis AFB RAPCON North Sector controller and reported an altitude of 1,300 feet. The RAPCON controller read the current altimeter setting and instructed the pilot to change to another radio frequency.

At 0324 hours, the pilot began receiving radar vectors from the RAPCON controller. The controller informed the pilot of the minimum descent altitude of 420 feet msl. At 0326 hours, the RAPCON controller informed the pilot he was 4 miles from the runway and asked the pilot to report the when he had the runway in sight. The RAPCON controller continued to radar vector the pilot and at 0327 hours informed the pilot he was 2 miles from the runway. The pilot reported the runway was not in sight.

The RAPCON controller then read the pilot the current weather, "indefinite ceiling of one hundred feet and sky partially obscured with visibility ... one sixteenth of a mile." At 0328 hours, the RAPCON controller told the pilot he was 1 mile from the runway. Seventeen seconds later the RAPCON controller told the pilot he was 1/2 mile from the runway. Twelve seconds later the RAPCON controller told the pilot he was over the approach end of the runway. At 0329 hours, 25 minutes after the pilot reported having 15 minutes of fuel remaining, the pilot said he saw the runway and he was going around.

The RAPCON controller asked the pilot to state his intentions and the pilot stated, "bring us back in, we had it in sight too late." The pilot then asked if he could do a right 180-degree turn and the RAPCON controller approved the request. The RAPCON controller then asked the pilot if he still had the airport in sight. The pilot indicated they were turning. The RAPCON controller cleared the pilot to land on runway 3R. There were no further transmissions recorded from the pilot.

The RAPCON controller indicated in a written statement the aircraft remained on course most of the time and required only minor corrections. The airplane's altitude over the approach end of the runway appeared on the radar as 400 feet msl. The last altitude observed by the RAPCON controller was after the pilot reported seeing the runway lights and appeared on the radar screen at 300 feet.

Travis AFB crash fire rescue personnel were alerted and had been awaiting the accident airplane's arrival. The crash fire rescue personnel heard a bang noise in the fog. A search was initiated for the accident airplane, which was later found outside the perimeter boundary of Travis AFB at 38-15-43 north latitude and 121-54-38 degrees west longitude.

Pilot Information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate which was issued on September 6, 1995, with a single engine airplane rating.

The most recent third-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot in June 1995. According to the Solano County Coroners Office, the pilot underwent surgery in November 1995, and had his gall bladder removed. There was no evidence found indicating the pilot had consulted an aviation medical examiner concerning the surgery.

The pilot's total aeronautical experience consists of about 175 hours, of which about 7.5 hours were accrued in simulated or actual instrument conditions. In the preceding 90 days before the accident, the pilot logged about 56.5 hours, of which 45 hours were in the Cessna 150.

Airplane Information

The airplane had accumulated approximately 6,725 flight hours total time in service. Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was accomplished on April 4, 1995, about 190 flight hours before the accident.

According to the airplane's pilot operating handbook the airplane's total fuel capacity is 26 gallons, which 22.5 gallons is useable. The fuel is equally divided into two 13-gallon fuel tanks. The total amount of fuel onboard the airplane during the departure from the Napa County Airport was not determined.

Meteorological Information

The closest official weather observation station was Travis AFB, which is located .84 miles west of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station is 62 feet msl. At 0455 hours, a scheduled surface observation was reporting in part: sky condition and ceiling, indefinite ceiling obscured; visibility, 1/16 mile in fog; temperature, 43 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point, 43 degrees Fahrenheit; winds, variable at 7 knots; altimeter, 30.20" inHg. Runway 3 visual range was reported to be 1,000 feet in the observation remarks section.

The weather observation facility at Travis AFB was reporting the visibility at 1/16 mile with fog in the preceding five weather observations. The first of the five observations was at 0030 hours, before the accident airplane's departure from Concord.

Airport and Ground Facilities

Travis Air Force Base is owned and operated by the United Sates Air Force. The published elevation of the air base is 62 feet msl.

The air base has two parallel hard surfaced runways on a 210-degree and 030-degree magnetic orientation. Runway 21L is 10,995-feet-long by 300-feet- wide, and is equipped with high intensity runway lights, centerline lights, and a category II configuration high intensity approach lighting system.

The elevation of Runway 21L at the approach and departure end of the runway is 53 feet msl.

Travis AFB personnel stated that runway 21R runway lights were damaged earlier that night by a military aircraft during landing roll. The military mishap necessitated the use of the only remaining runway, 21L, during the accident period.

Runway 21L is served with a straight-in area surveillance radar approach (ASR). According to the ASR approach procedure, the minimum descent altitude is 420 feet msl and the minimum visibility is 1/2 mile.

Wreckage and Impact Information

The initial impact point was marked by a ground scar with fragments of the right wing tip position light. The wreckage path continued on a 275-degree magnetic azimuth for about 280 feet where the engine came to rest. A 4- by 3-foot wide ground scar about 28 feet from the initial impact point was littered with small debris and hardware from the engine compartment.

The fuselage came to rest on the fire wall about 190 feet from the initial impact point. The engine had separated, leaving the carburetor still attached to the throttle cable. The fuel line to the carburetor was severed and there was no evidence of fuel found in the carburetor.

The engine's eight spark plugs were removed and examined. The massive electrodes were more than half their original thickness except for the number 4 cylinder bottom plug which was eroded to an elliptical shape. The number 3 cylinder top plug and the number 4 cylinder top and bottom plugs had hard cinder like deposits accumulating on the electrode insulators.

The wings were displaced forward touching the ground with the trailing edges. Both wing tips were missing. The outboard sections of both wings were buckled diagonally from inboard on the leading edge to outboard on the trailing edge.

Both fuel caps were secure on the wing and there was no evidence of fuel leaking. There was less than 3 gallons of fuel found in the wing tanks. About 2.5 gallons was found in the left wing tank and about .25 gallons was found in the right wing tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the "BOTH" position.

The propeller exhibited slight forward bending at the propeller tips and both blades were bent aft at midspan around the engine cylinders. There was light chordwise scoring on the camber side of both blades.

Flight control and engine control continuity was established. The magneto switch was found in the "BOTH" position. The flaps were found in the up position. The elevator trim was found in a neutral position.

Medical and Pathological Information

A post mortem examination was conducted by the Solano County Coroner's Office on January 15, 1996, with specimens retained for toxicological examination.

Urine, blood and liver fluid samples obtained from the pilot were toxicologically tested by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI). The blood sample tested negative for the presence of cyanide. The urine sample tested negative for the presence of ethanol. The blood, urine, and liver samples were tested for all legal and illegal drugs. Threshold values established by CAMI are used to determine positive results. A copy of CAMI report which documents the threshold values is included as a attachment to this report.

According to the CAMI report, amphetamine, fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, and Caramazepine were detected in the blood, urine, and liver samples.

According to the FAA Western Pacific Regional Flight Surgeons Office, the drugs detected are found in prescription drugs whose use or the medical condition they treat are in contravention to performing pilot duties. The flight surgeon's office also indicated that pilots should consult their aviation medical examiner when being administered prescription medications to determine their suitability before performing pilot duties.

Blood and urine samples were also retained by the Solano County Coroner's Office. The samples were sent to Valley Toxicological Service, Inc., Sacramento, California, for analysis. According to the Valley Toxicology Service, Inc., report the pilot's blood sample tested positive for amphetamine. A copy of the report is included as a attachment to this report.

Additional Information

Wreckage Release

The wreckage was released to the representatives of the owner on January 17, 1996.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather conditions which eventually led to a loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, his impairment due to medication, the foggy weather conditions below weather minimums, and the dark night.