Cessna T337H N1348L

Summary

On 5 January 2002 at about 20:59 local time, a Cessna T337H registered N1348L was involved in an accident near Buena Park, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 January 2002 at 20:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Buena Park, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fullerton (KFUL)

Coordinates

33.8694, -117.9903

Aircraft

Cessna T337H

Registration

N1348L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fullerton → Fullerton

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02FA061

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing approach. Factors included the pilot's distraction when informed that his landing gear was not down, and his impairment from the effects of prescription drugs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with terrain while turning from base to final for landing. The pilot contacted the air traffic control tower approximately 20 miles from the airport. The controller cleared the pilot into the traffic pattern, and shortly thereafter, cleared the airplane to land. The turn to base was early, and the airplane remained high during the base leg and the turn to final. The controller informed the pilot that the landing gear did not appear to be down, and then the airplane rolled to the right. A pilot witness observed the right wing drop 70-80 degrees and the airplane enter a sharp right turn through 180 degrees of rotation. The nose started dropping and after 360 degrees of turn, the nose was down about 70 degrees. to a vertical nose down attitude. After 360 degrees of turn, the nose was down about 70 degrees. In a post accident examination, investigators discovered no preimpact engine or control malfunctions with the airplane. Review of the pilot's personal medical records indicated that he had routinely used a prescription sleep aid (triazolam) and two prescription medications (codeine and butalbital) for the treatment of severe headaches. The pilot noted none of these medications on his applications for a medical certificate. A postmortem toxicological examination of the pilot detected the presence of these medicationscodeine and butalbital, consistent with recent use. Barbiturates (the class of medications which include butalbital) have been shown in many studies to impair judgment and performance; impairment that does not always correlate with subjective effects. They have an effect on the inner ear, and may increase susceptibility to spatial disorientation. Studies have shown residual adverse effects of triazolam on piloting related skills in the morning following its use. Codeine, a narcotic painkiller, has been shown to have mild impairing effects on performance at typical doses.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.