Amateur-built OSPREY 2 accident near Chula Vista, California, December 6, 1999
On December 6, 1999, a amateur-built OSPREY 2, registered N192DC, was destroyed in an accident near Chula Vista, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the airplane resulting in wing overload and separation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 1999
- Place
- Chula Vista, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built OSPREY 2
- Registration
- N192DC · registry record · serial 192
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane came to rest in a lake after witnesses heard a loud noise. They saw the airplane in a tight spiral and pieces of it were floating in trail. The engine sound changed from a loud to a softer tone as the airplane rotated. Earlier in the afternoon, the pilot had visited a retired FAA inspector in Ramona, California, where he had appeared to be in good health and spirits. The inspector looked at the airplane prior to departure and did not notice anything unusual. The engine sounded good and was running strong when it taxied away from his hangar. Both wings and the fuselage/tail assembly were found floating. The left wing and canopy were lightly damaged. The left wing fractured and separated near the fuselage in a downward direction. The rest of the airplane was highly damaged and fragmented. Investigators established flight control continuity. They established engine valve train and accessory gear continuity. The oil screen was clean and the spark plug color indicated normal operation. They discovered no discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. Toxicological testing returned a positive result for amitriptyline and nortriptyline. Amitriptyline is one of the most sedating of the antidepressants, and is given almost exclusively in the evenings because of these effects. The levels found in the pilot's blood suggested regular use of a low dosage of the medication as he and his doctor had previously described in the application for his airman's medical certificate. It is unclear what effect, if any, such low levels would have on the pilot's performance. The nature of the accident does not suggest that the medication played a significant role. However, it is possible that the medication and/or the condition for which it was being taken resulted in less than optimum response to an evolving emergency condition.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 483 hours in all; 26 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 108 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 1999; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,560 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDM San Diego CA at 11:37 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from SDM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.