Plane Mushed In While Turning Base; Six People Lost

The National Transportation Safety Board ruled this week the August 2007 downing of a 2005 Lancair Columbia 400 as it attempted to land at Kern Valley Airport in Kernville, CA was due to pilot error... and confirmed the plane was over its maximum gross weight restrictions.

As ANN reported, the aircraft stalled as it maneuvered in the pattern to land on Kern Valley's 3,500-foot runway on August 31, 2007. The plane's pilot, Adam Pasori, aborted his first landing attempt; witnesses said the plane nosed in as it turned base for a second attempt to land on runway 35, sparking a fire on impact.

Killed in the crash were Pasori, his wife, and his brother and sister. Pasori's two-year old niece and two-month nephew were also lost in the accident, according to The Bakersfield Californian.

That's two persons over the seating capacity of a Columbia 400. "It was estimated that at the time of departure from SMO the airplane was 65 pounds over its maximum takeoff weight, and 83 pounds over its maximum landing weight at the time of the accident," the NTSB writes, adding "the airplane's center of gravity was within the fore and aft limits for the duration of the flight."

Investigators found no anomalies with the airframe, and noted the plane's speed brakes were retracted. "The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing," the Board concluded. "Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed."

Pasori held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings, and was flying on a second-class medical certificate issued in January 2006. According to Pasori's logbook, he had total time of 789 hours, with 214 hours in type.

The family was flying to Kern Valley for a camping vacation to celebrate the end of summer, according to the newspaper.

FMI: Read The NTSB's Probable Cause Report