Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD N857PF

Summary

On 14 October 2021 at about 23:00 local time, a Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD registered N857PF was involved in an accident near Wilton, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 October 2021 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wilton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Alta Mesa Airpark (3CN7)

Coordinates

38.3819, -121.2236

Aircraft

Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD

Registration

N857PF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Reno

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA015

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s inability to control the airplane’s pitch during departure for reasons that could not be determined because of the extensive fragmentation and thermal damage the airplane sustained in the accident sequence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the departure started normally but that, after becoming airborne, the airplane controls were not responding to his inputs as expected. The airplane continued to pitch up in a nose-high attitude and he was unable to push the control yoke forward, which he described as feeling like he was “stretching” cables with forward pressure. With the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable, he elected to make a rapid maneuver toward an unpopulated area. The airplane descended into trees; after coming to a stop, a fire erupted. A postaccident examination of the flight control system revealed no definitive evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Because the elevator system was extensively damaged and was partially consumed by fire, the investigation was not able to determine the cause of the pitch control anomaly. The airplane’s weight and center of gravity (CG) could not be confirmed. The burned remains of items found in the airplane could not be identified and the location of those items at impact could not be confirmed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.