Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Byron, California, October 23, 2012
On October 23, 2012 at about 9:03 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N655DB, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Byron, California (Funny Farm Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in a stall and subsequent spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2012 · about 9:03 pm local time
- Place
- Byron, California · Funny Farm Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III
- Registration
- N655DB · no longer on the register · serial 3051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two pilots, one of whom owned the airplane, departed for a personal flight. The airplane was equipped with dual flight controls; however, it could not be determined which pilot was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident. Witnesses located adjacent to the accident site reported that they heard a loud noise and then saw the airplane slow down and begin to spin left in a slight nose-low attitude. The witnesses further reported that the airplane continued to spin until it impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with a flat-spin, slightly nose-low impact with terrain. Postmortem toxicology tests for the left seat pilot/owner were positive for doxylamine (an antihistamine used in over-the-counter sleep aids and cough medicines) and methamphetamine (a central nervous system stimulant). Because the amount of doxylamine in his system at the time of the crash was below the therapeutic limit, its direct effects on the left-seat pilot's performance at the time of the crash could not be determined. Although methamphetamine was present in the left-seat pilot's blood, the amount was below the calibration limit of the toxicology tests. However, both methamphetamine and its metabolite (amphetamine) were present in his urine. Regardless, no direct correlation exists between the concentration of drug in the blood and the user's symptoms. Although it is unlikely that the left-seat pilot was actively euphoric at the time of the flight, he was likely in the late phase of symptoms or in the withdrawal phase(during which concentrations of the drug may be undetectable), which would have been impairing. However, as noted, it could not be determined which pilot was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident; therefore, the impact of the left-seat pilot's drug impairment on the flight could also not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,457 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dsb INC
The flight
- Departed from: 4CA2 Brentwood CA at 8:57 pm
- Destination: 4CA2 Brentwood CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from LVK, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.