HEMET, CA, USA
N22LD
Duskin RANS S-14
The pilot lost control of his aircraft during landing and crashed into a mud bog. A sheriff's deputy heard the engine stop and drove to the crash site. He asked the pilot, the only person at the aircraft, if he was hurt. The pilot replied that he wasn't hurt in the landing and that he'd recover his aircraft in the morning. A few minutes later the deputy was contacted by a police officer that had arrested a man for driving while under the influence (DUI). The man had said that his aircraft had been stolen and then had crashed at the airport. The officer brought the man to the hangar and the deputy identified him as the man he had spoken with earlier. The man, now identified by name, also acknowledged that he was the same person the deputy had spoken with at the crash site. He later reported to the FAA that he had gone to eat and had left his hangar open and when he returned, he found his aircraft missing. He ran around the airport looking for it until he saw the aircraft's tail sticking out of a bog. He ran toward it but tripped and fell several times. He decided to tow it to his hangar that night so he drove into town to buy a rope. While en route, he was arrested for DUI. He was held for several hours, then taken to the hospital for a blood test and treatment of his injuries. His blood alcohol was found to be .07% (W/V).
On March 25, 1998, about 2200 hours Pacific standard time, an experimental Rans S-14, N22LD, crashed while landing at Hemet, California. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by the owner/pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight was originating from the Hemet-Ryan airport at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. A Riverside county sheriff's deputy reported that he was in the sheriff's hangar when he heard the sound of what he thought was an ultralight aircraft landing on runway 23. He walked outside and saw an aircraft entering a left downwind. He walked back inside and a few seconds later heard the engine quit. He walked outside again and saw the aircraft descending toward the east side of the airport. After the aircraft disappeared from his view near the departure end of the runway, he got in his truck and drove down the taxiway to see if he could find the aircraft and check on the welfare of the pilot. Subsequently, he found the aircraft and an adult male alone nearby. The deputy asked the unidentified man if he was hurt or needed help. He replied that he was all right and had not been hurt in the landing. He said he planned to wait until the next morning before he attempted to recover the aircraft. After he was satisfied that no help was needed the deputy returned to the hangar. Shortly after 2300, the deputy was contacted by a Hemet police officer. The officer reported that he had arrested a man for driving while under the influence (DUI). He said the man told him that his aircraft had been stolen and then had crashed at the airport. The officer brought the subject to the hangar and the deputy identified him, by his clothing, as the man he had spoken with earlier at the aircraft. The man, now identified by name, also acknowledged that the deputy was the same person he had spoken with at the accident scene earlier that night. On March 27, 1998, a man, who identified himself as the owner of the destroyed aircraft, telephoned a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector at the Riverside Flight Standards District Office. The caller, who was identified by name as the same person who was arrested for DUI, said that he wanted to report his aircraft stolen. The inspector advised him to report it to local police authorities. He replied that he had tried, however, the police did not believe him, and attempted to get him to confess that he had been the pilot of the aircraft at the time of the crash. The inspector asked him for some details of the theft. He said he had gone to get something to eat about 1900 on the evening of his loss and had left his hangar open. When he returned about an hour later, he discovered that his aircraft was missing. He said he got very excited and began running around the airport looking for it. He looked out across the approach end of runway 23 and saw the aircraft's tail sticking out of a mud bog between the runway and taxiway. He started running toward the aircraft but tripped and fell several times, injuring his leg and twisting his back. After he reached the aircraft, he determined that it was, indeed, his and decided that he would tow it back to his hangar. He then ran to his car and drove into town to find a hardware store where he could buy a rope. While en route, he was arrested for DUI and returned to the airport by the arresting officer. After his arrest, he was given a field sobriety test and a blood test. He said he thought he had passed the field sobriety test but was not certain if he had passed the blood test because he takes two antidepressant drugs, Zolaf and Busporin. The inspector asked him if taking those drugs disqualified him from holding an FAA medical certificate. He said that his "psychologist" did not think they did. He said he had been taking both of them for about 1.5 years. He said that, after being held for several hours, he was taken to the hospital for a blood test and for treatment of his back and leg injuries. The results of the blood test taken at 0016 on March 26, 1998 revealed that his blood alcohol level was .07% (W/V). He was then released on his own recognizance. He stated that the aircraft was destroyed and was now being stored at Ultrazone Aviation at the Hemet-Ryan airport. The pilot returned only page 6 of the accident report. In the statement he stated that his aircraft was stolen while he was at dinner. When he returned he found that the aircraft has crashed near runway 23. He provided no other information. The FAA reported that the aircraft had not been issued a valid airworthiness certificate at the time of the accident. On March 24, 1999, a Safety Board administrative law judge found that he was, in fact, the pilot of the accident aircraft and that the pilot's medical certificate, issued on January 20, 1998, be revoked. The revocation was based on what was judged to be an intentionally falsified medical application.
the pilot's loss of aircraft control during landing, and his physical impairment from a blood alcohol level of 0.07 percent 2 hours following the accident.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
