Cessna P210 N7WJ accident near Tehachapi, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s intentional low-altitude maneuvering and failure to maintain clearance from terrain due to distraction.

NTSB analysis

The pilot's friend, who was also a pilot, observed the airplane flying around his home. He noted that the landing gear and flaps were partially down and that he saw the pilot wave his hand out his window. Shortly after, the airplane turned west, and the landing gear began to retract. The friend returned to his previous activities, and, within seconds, he heard a "whump" followed by silence. He moved to a better vantage point and observed smoke in the direction of his last observation of the airplane. A pilot-rated witness at the local airport reported that he was familiar with the surrounding area and noticed that the airplane was flying low and that it then started flying up a valley between two ridgelines, disappeared from his sight behind the nearest one, and, about 20 seconds later, he saw smoke. The airplane collided with trees, and it was destroyed in a postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

The autopsy found no evidence of a recent or acute coronary event or the presence of medications that would have affected the pilot's performance. Further, the witness statements did not suggest acute incapacitation or sudden severe impairment, and evidence suggests the pilot was manipulating the controls just before impact. Thus, it is likely that the pilot was distracted with waving to his friend on the ground and failed to maintain sufficient altitude while maneuvering at low altitude.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR11FA430 for the full record.