Rockwell 112 TCA accident near La Canada, California, March 30, 2006
On March 30, 2006 at about 10:53 pm local time, a Rockwell 112 TCA, registered N4641W, was destroyed in an accident near La Canada, 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's failure to maintain aircraft control and an adequate airspeed during climb to cruise that led to a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the clouds and the pilot's physiological state.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2006 · about 10:53 pm local time
- Place
- La Canada, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 112 TCA
- Registration
- N4641W · no longer on the register · serial 13171
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving VFR flight following services from Air Traffic Control and was climbing to his cruise altitude of 9,500 feet when he requested information regarding the tops of the clouds. The pilot stated that he was VFR, and had gone through some clouds. The controller informed the pilot that he was in an area of intermittent radar coverage, and asked him if he was able to maintain VFR. The pilot replied that he could, and that he was at 6,800 feet. A few seconds later, the controller lost radar and radio contact. No distress call was received and an over-flying airplane tried unsuccessfully to establish radio contact. Radar data indicated that a target in the vicinity of the accident site appeared to make two left 360-degree turns. A witness saw the airplane come spiraling out of the bottom of the clouds with the nose pointed straight towards the ground. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were identified in the wreckage. Two weeks prior to the accident, the pilot had extensive surgery to remove a recurrent tumor in his maxillary sinus. At the time of the accident, the pilot was returning home from a post-surgical meeting at which the surgeon informed the pilot that some tumor remained in his eye socket. The pilot's options would be radiation to the eye, additional surgery to remove the floor of the eye socket and possibly the eye as well, or watch the tumor grow prior to taking any action. The pilot had likely recovered from most of the immediate effects of that surgery. The pilot had ibuprofen in his blood, suggesting that he had some continuing pain or discomfort, which might have reduced his attention to flight related tasks. He might also have been distracted or depressed by the prospect of additional surgery and/or the possible loss of one eye. His decision to fly or respond to events during flight could have been sub optimal due to post surgical issues.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 216 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,829 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TO-360-C1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 10:29 pm
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from BUR, 9 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.