WPR14FA078

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees while on approach, which subsequently led to a loss of airplane control. Also causal was the pilot’s continued operation of the airplane at night with a diagnosed medical condition that degraded his night vision.

The non-instrument rated pilot was on a cross-country flight in dark night, hazy, visual flight rules conditions. As the pilot approached his intended destination airport, witnesses observed the pilot attempt to land the airplane three times. During the third attempt to land, the airplane struck a 62-ft-tall tree with the left wingtip; the tree was located about 1,400 ft from the approach end of the runway. The airplane then continued to fly over the runway and entered a left turn. Subsequently, the airplane descended rapidly into the ground. Wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with a near-vertical impact with the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Review of the pilot's Federal Aviation Administration medical records revealed that the pilot had not reported any medical conditions. However, according to the pilot's personal medical records, the pilot had elevated cholesterol, gout, high blood pressure, and chronic depression that was in remission; all were adequately controlled and the medications being used were unlikely to impair the pilot's performance. Although the pilot's corrected visual acuity remained 20/20 bilaterally, he had complained to his optometrist of vision problems with halos around stars. Annual exams documented progression of bilateral cataracts and vitreous opacities in the 4 years before the accident. Cataracts can cause halos around points of light (glare) and degrade night vision. A witness, who was based at the pilot's home airport, reported that the pilot recently had problems taxiing on a familiar lighted runway and taxiway at night. The witness reported that he had to drive his truck onto the taxiway and use the truck's headlights to allow the pilot to find his way off the runway. Based on the pilot's 4-year history of progressive bilateral cataracts, complaints of halos around stars at night, prior difficulty operating the airplane at night on his lighted home airport runway, and his unsuccessful attempts to land on this unfamiliar runway at night, it is likely that cataracts degraded his ability to see clearly at night and resulted in his inability to safely operate the airplane during the accident sequence.

The Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is a non-towered airport that features a single asphalt runway, 12/30, which is 3,627 feet in length and 75 feet wide. Runway 30 was equipped with a 4-light precision approach path indicator (PAPI) light system, oriented on a 3-degree glideslope and a 438-foot displaced threshold. The edges of the runway were marked by white runway lights. Two strobe lights on either side of the runway at the threshold were observed. Red lights from the threshold to the approach end of the runway surface (the entire displaced area of the threshold) were observed. Green lights were observed at the runway threshold (marking the beginning of the actual runway). The common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is 123.00. The runway lighting system is controlled by the CTAF frequency after airport operation hours. The reported field elevation is 279 feet mean sea level. The NTSB IIC, with assistance of a Fresno Police Department Helicopter, flew a visual flight rules approach to runway 30, with the PAPI indicating 2 white and 2 red lights the day following the accident. Throughout the entire approach, the descent was normal and no irregularities were noted. The IIC noted that as the helicopter passed over the tree that the accident airplane struck, the helicopter's altitude was about 100 feet above the tree. The Fresno County Coroner conducted an autopsy on the pilot on December 28, 2013. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was "…multiple…injuries due to blunt impact." The autopsy report revealed that evaluation of the heart was limited due to the extent of injury but identified mild to moderate coronary artery disease. The left main and left anterior descending coronary artery had up to 40% narrowing, and the right coronary artery up to 20% narrowing from atherosclerosis. The autopsy did not identify heart muscle fibrosis (scarring). The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology tests on the pilot. According to CAMI's report, carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drugs were tested, and had positive results for unspecified levels of Bupropion in the muscle and liver. Review of the autopsy, toxicology tests, FAA Medical Certification File, and the pilot's medical records by NTSB Medical Officer, revealed the pilot received his first medical certificate in April 2003. According to his most recent medical certification examination, dated May 15, 2013, he was 72 inches tall, and weighed 251 pounds. The pilot marked "NO" to all blocks in section 18 of the application for a medical certificate including, "Have you ever in your life been diagnosed with, had or do you presently have"… "c. Eye or vision trouble except glasses" and "d. Mental disorders of any sort, depression, anxiety, etc." The Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) issued the pilot a third-class medical certificate with the following limitation: Must have available glasses for near vision. Review of personal medical records from March 2010 through November 2013, revealed that the pilot had a history of high cholesterol, gout, high blood pressure, and major depression in complete remission. Records from the pilot's last visit on November 23, 2013, identified his medications as simvastatin, allopurinol, lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, and bupropion. On that date, the records noted, "mood, memory and judgment normal." Simvastatin is used to treat high cholesterol, and is marketed as Zocor. Allopurinol is used to treat gout, and is marketed as Zyloprim. Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide are used to treat high blood pressure, and are marketed as Prinivil and Esidrix (respectively). Bupropion is used to treat depression and help people quit smoking; it is marketed with the additional names Wellbutrin and Zyban. According to additional records from the pilot's optometrist, he began annual visits to his optometrist in May 2010 because he was seeing halos around stars at night. That exam identified bilateral cataracts with trace nuclear sclerosis (yellowing and opacification of the central zone of the lens) in the left lens and 1+ nuclear sclerosis in the right lens. At that time, his corrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes; his corrected visual acuity remained unchanged on all following examinations. The pilot's last eye exam was dated November 14, 2013 and the optometrist recorded bilateral cataracts with 1+ nuclear sclerosis, bilateral vitreous floaters, and a right vitreous opacity. A review of recorded data from the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) automated weather observation station, located 6 miles northeast of the accident site, revealed at 1953, conditions were wind from 320 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 5 miles, haze, clear sky, temperature 10 degrees Celsius, dew point 3 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted terrain about 490 feet southwest of the departure end of runway 30. The airplane came to rest upright on an approximate heading of about 328 degrees magnetic. All major structural items of the airplane were located within about 50 feet of the main wreckage, except for a portion of the outboard left fiberglass wingtip. Two trees, located immediately to the southwest of main wreckage, were about 15 feet in height, and had numerous branches separated. Three pine trees located about 10 feet north of the main wreckage, and about 50 feet in height were not damaged. Two yard lights, about 10 feet in height and located 12 feet to the west of the main wreckage, were not damaged. A fence, about 6 feet in height, located about 2 feet east of the main wreckage, was not damaged. Two sets of power lines, located about 40 and 110 feet east of the main wreckage, were not damaged. However, a small cable, similar to a telephone or cable TV cable that extended from the farthest east set of power lines to a residential house located about 67 feet west of the main wreckage, was damaged. The orientation of the cable, from the power pole to the house, extended directly over the accident site. In a secondary location, located about 1,406 feet southeast of the approach end of runway 30, multiple paint chips, landing light cover lens fragments, and a portion of the left fiberglass wingtip was located. A tree, about 62 feet in height, exhibited numerous broken branches about 40 to 45 feet above the ground. Examination of the main wreckage revealed that the right wing was mostly intact and exhibited fire damage throughout. The leading edge was buckled and compressed aft throughout its span to aft of the forward wing spar. The wing chord at the wing tip was reduced to about 18 inches and 4 feet outboard of the fuel cell. The wing structure and flap from the fuel tank to the wing root was consumed by fire. The remaining portion of the flap and aileron remained attached to the wing via their respective mounts. The flap was in the retracted position. The left wing was mostly intact and exhibited fire damage throughout. The leading edge was buckled and compressed aft throughout its span to the forward wing spar. Additional fire damage was observed at the wing root and area surrounding the fuel tank. The flap and aileron remained attached to the wing via their respective mounts. The flap was in the retracted position. The left wing tip was separated. The fuselage, about three feet forward of the horizontal stabilizer, was mostly consumed and melted by fire. The left and right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached via their respective mounts. The outboard leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer exhibited impact damage. The right outboard portion of the right horizontal stabilizer, about 20 inches from the tip, was buckled and partially bent upwards. The vertical stabilizer was intact, and the rudder remained attached