Socata RALLYE 235E N711BZ accident near San Martin, California

Probable cause

The pilot's incapacitation due to severe unrecognized coronary artery disease that resulted in a loss of aircraft control.

NTSB analysis

A ground witness at the airport reported that the engine sounded normal, and the approach looked "rock solid," when all of a sudden the airplane veered to the right and hit a building. A pilot landing his helicopter at the time of the accident reported hearing the radio transmissions of the accident pilot. He reported that the pilot sounded normal with no distress in his voice. Several other witnesses traveling on the highway at the time reported the accident airplane making a sharp right turn and impacting a building where it burst into flames. According to the ground witness at the airport, the pilot was from the local area. While this was not the pilot's home airport, he would have been familiar with it. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the autopsy findings for the pilot showed severe unrecognized coronary artery disease, which would have put him at risk for sudden incapacitation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for LAX08LA272 for the full record.