At 07:15 PDT, a Fouga CM-170 crashed in a pasture three miles north of San Joaquin. The pilot and passenger were killed. A witness about one mile north of the accident site said the airplane performed two loops, then two rolls. As the plane was coming out of the second roll he thought something happened because the airplane went into a spin and fell like a piece of paper to the ground. Another witness about 1/4 mile southeast of the accident site said the aircraft was about 2,000 feet agl going straight down and rolling to the left. The engine noise was screaming and he estimated the aircraft continued that way for 10 seconds. Then the roll stopped and the plane began to level, however, during this time the engine noise was quiet. The aircraft then rolled abruptly to the right, the nose dropped, and the plane hit the ground. A third witness, who observed the accident from about 1/2 mile east of the accident site, said the airplane was about 2,000 feet and spiraled down to about 200 feet, where he thought the pilot was pulling out and then the airplane spun again to the ground.
April 9, San Joaquin, Calif. / Fouga Magister
At 07:15 PDT, a Fouga CM-170 crashed in a pasture three miles north of San Joaquin. The pilot and passenger were killed. A witness about one mile north of the accident site said the airplane performed two loops, then two rolls. As the plane was coming out of the second roll he thought something happened because the airplane went into a spin and fell like a piece of paper to the ground. Another witness about 1/4 mile southeast of the accident site said the aircraft was about 2,000 feet agl going straight down and rolling to the left. The engine noise was screaming and he estimated the aircraft continued that way for 10 seconds. Then the roll stopped and the plane began to level, however...
Key Takeaways:
- A Fouga CM-170 aircraft crashed in a pasture north of San Joaquin, killing both the pilot and passenger.
- Witnesses observed the plane performing aerobatic maneuvers (loops and rolls) before it entered an uncontrolled spin and descended rapidly.
- Accounts described the engine noise as screaming then quieting, with observed attempts to level the aircraft followed by an abrupt final roll and impact.
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