N24987

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 19, 2017, about 1756 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N24987, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP), Tehachapi, California. The private pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was operated by Barnes Aviation as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident; the pilot's intended destination was not determined.

The pilot had rented the airplane from Barnes Aviation, a fixed-base operator (FBO) located at General William J. Fox Airfield (WJF), Lancaster, California. According to a representative of the FBO, the airplane fuel tanks were filled, and then the airplane was flown about 1.4 hours before its pickup by the accident pilot. The airplane was not fueled after that flight, or after the flight to TSP.

According to a flight instructor who was employed by the FBO, the pilot had reserved the airplane for a few hours in the afternoon of the accident. About 1522, the flight instructor was asked by another FBO employee to pull the airplane out of a hangar for the pilot. The airplane had been removed from the hangar by about 1530, followed by the meeting of the pilot and that instructor for the first time. In response to the instructor's query, the pilot told the instructor that he planned to fly "to Rosamond then maybe up north for a little while." Rosamond Skypark Airport (L00), Rosamond, California, was located about 8 nautical miles north of WJF. About 1535, the pilot began his preflight inspection. About 1545, the pilot started the engine of the airplane, and the instructor saw the airplane take off from runway 6 about 1555. The instructor did not mention anything unusual or concerning about the pilot's actions. The pilot's route of flight, or whether he landed at any other airports between the time of his departure from WJF and his arrival at TSP, could not be determined.

TSP was located about 26 miles northwest of WJF. Surveillance imagery from three collocated cameras at TSP captured the airplane taxi into and stop in the transient parking area about 1628. The pilot secured the airplane and walked to a nearby restaurant to eat. He returned to the airplane about 1738, by which time night had fallen. The pilot started the engine about 1749 and taxied from the parking spot about 1 minute later. A set of lights presumed to be the accident airplane could be seen departing from TSP runway 29 about 1755. The surveillance imagery appeared to depict the airplane maneuvering in a manner consistent with a right traffic pattern after takeoff, followed by a rapid descent.

Multiple witnesses saw or heard the descent and/or impact and telephoned 911 to report the accident. A ground search aided by illumination from a law enforcement helicopter searchlight located the wreckage in a ranch pasture just north of TSP. The wreckage was examined on scene. A handheld Garmin GPS II Plus device was recovered on scene and was sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory for possible data download. Damage to the device precluded the recovery of any data. The airplane wreckage was then recovered to a secure storage facility for subsequent detailed examination. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated that the pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged a total flight experience of about 152 hours, including about 12 hours of night experience. His most recent flight review was completed in August 2017. On October 8, 2017, he had flown solo in the accident airplane from WJF to TSP and back at night and conducted 3-night landings. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONFAA information indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1977 and registered to the current owner in November 2011. The two-place, high-wing airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-235 series engine. Maintenance records indicated that the airplane had accumulated a total time in service of about 11,168 hours and that the engine had accumulated a time since major overhaul of about 2,795 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed in April 2017, and the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed in September 2017.

According to the airplane manufacturer's published performance data, the typical minimum flight endurance, not including a 45-minute reserve, is about 3 hours. Actual endurance can be increased significantly, primarily as a function of power setting, cruise altitude, and engine leaning procedures. Calculations that accounted for the estimated flight time of the airplane since its last known refueling indicated that the airplane likely had at least 1 hour and 45 minutes' worth of fuel on board at the time of the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe 1755 TSP automated weather observation included winds from 320° at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 7° C, dew point 0° C, and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.

Local sunset occurred at 1646, and civil twilight ended at 1713. The moon was a waxing crescent with 2% of its disc illuminated. Local moonset occurred at 1802. AIRPORT INFORMATIONFAA information indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1977 and registered to the current owner in November 2011. The two-place, high-wing airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-235 series engine. Maintenance records indicated that the airplane had accumulated a total time in service of about 11,168 hours and that the engine had accumulated a time since major overhaul of about 2,795 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed in April 2017, and the most recent 100-hour inspection was completed in September 2017.

According to the airplane manufacturer's published performance data, the typical minimum flight endurance, not including a 45-minute reserve, is about 3 hours. Actual endurance can be increased significantly, primarily as a function of power setting, cruise altitude, and engine leaning procedures. Calculations that accounted for the estimated flight time of the airplane since its last known refueling indicated that the airplane likely had at least 1 hour and 45 minutes' worth of fuel on board at the time of the accident. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe initial impact point was located about 350 ft west-northwest of, and offset about 2,050 ft north-northwest of, the runway 11 threshold. The accident site terrain was hard-packed, dry earth, flat and level, with mostly dried grass and some low, dried shrubs. All airplane components were accounted for at the accident site. No evidence consistent with in-flight fire or in-flight structural failure was observed.

Ground scars were consistent with the airplane impacting the terrain in a nose- and right-wing-low attitude. The right wingtip strike was the beginning of the ground scar. The earliest identifiable piece of wreckage was an outboard fragment of the right aileron. A ground scar consistent with the right main landing gear (RMLG) was located about 20 ft beyond the right wingtip strike. Scarring consistent with nose landing gear or propeller contact began about 10 ft beyond the RMLG strike. The ground scars and airplane damage were consistent with the wreckage tumbling and sliding before coming to rest.

The main wreckage consisted of the engine, wings, empennage, and most of the fuselage. The main wreckage came to rest about 250 ft, on a bearing of 138° true, from the initial impact point. Several items, including the propeller, some engine accessories, and some fuselage fragments, formed a debris field between the initial impact point and the main wreckage. The debris field orientation was within about 14° of the runway alignment. Several high-density items such as the battery and the alternator core came to rest several hundred feet beyond the main wreckage.

Both wings exhibited full-span, aft-direction crush damage along their leading edges.

Both lift struts remained attached to their respective wings but were separated from the fuselage. Both wings retained their respective fuel tank caps. Both flaps remained fully attached to their respective wings; the flaps were relatively undamaged and were found in positions consistent with being fully retracted at the time of impact. Both ailerons remained attached to their respective wings.

The vertical stabilizer with rudder and horizontal stabilizers with the elevators remained attached to the aft fuselage. The pitch trim tab remained attached to the right horizontal stabilizer.

All wing and empennage control surfaces retained their respective balance weights. Control continuity was established from both ailerons to the fuselage break in the cockpit. Control continuity was established from both elevators, the pitch trim tab, and the rudder to the fuselage break in the cockpit.

The cockpit/cabin was found torn open. The windshield was reduced to numerous smallfragments. Both cabin doors were completely fracture-separated from the airplane. The flap handle was found in the "Up/Retract" position. The elevator trim indicator and trim wheel were impact damaged. The trim actuator measurement indicated a 5º-tab-trailing-edge-up position. The control lock was found stowed in the back pocket of the right seat.

The primer, throttle, and mixture controls in the cockpit were found in their full forward positions; the throttle and mixture cables were continuous to the carburetor. The carburetor heat control was not identified in the wreckage. The fuel selector was found in the "ON" position. The master switch and all circuit breakers were absent from their receptacles.

The ignition switch was found in the "OFF" position with the key installed and bent to the left.

The engine remained partially attached to the engine mount and forward ...