Student pilot killed in Orcutt plane crash was on third solo flight
A Burbank pilot was making his third solo flight when his plane crashed into an Orcutt school playground, according to a preliminary report into the accident.
At 10:45 a.m. May 20, the Cirrus SR20 slammed onto a basketball court at Ralph Dunlap Elementary School, 1220 Oak Knoll Road in Orcutt, landing upside down and sparking a fire. Because of COVID-19 closures, students were not on campus at the time.
The student pilot, identified as Tigran Garabedyan, 38, of Burbank, died in the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently posted a preliminary report about the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration also is involved in the investigation.
One witness reported that the airplane was flying lower than normal, according to the report.
“He observed the airplane oscillate, followed by an engine power increase and then the airplane straightened out. Shortly thereafter, the power decreased, and it started to oscillate as it went out of view,” the report said. “Another witness observed the airplane with its wings perpendicular to the ground as it descended out of view.
“And a third witness said his attention was drawn to the airplane when he heard a ‘loud hissing sound,’ which sounded like a ‘large bottle rocket.’ He looked up and saw the airplane abruptly turn left and descend like a corkscrew.”
Garabedyan began his flight training in September 2019, his flight instuctor told investigators. Since then, Garabedyan had accumulated about 50 flight hours.
“The accident flight was the student pilot’s third solo flight and second cross-country,” the report said. “They had flown the same route as the accident flight at least twice together, and the student pilot flew it once on his own about one week prior to the accident.”
A cross-country flight is considered a trip more than 57 miles away from the starting point and includes other milestones a pilot must meet.
The aircraft was on approach to the Santa Maria Public Airport, about 3½ miles away.
Winds at the time were blowing at 8 mph with gusts up to 17 mph, per the preliminary report.
Witnesses reported seeing a parachute deploy as the aircraft made an uncontrolled descent, and photos of the wreckage show a parachute canopy stretching from the burned airplane.
The single-engine plane apparently was equipped with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, or CAPS, a safety feature designed to protect occupants in the event of an emergency by lowering the aircraft to the ground after deployment, according to the company’s website.
The wreckage has been relocated to a secure location for further examination, federal officials said.
Garabedyan worked as a doctor and had a strong love for family and medicine, according to an online obituary.
“Your legacy will live on for eternity. The whole world will remember a hero, an exceptional doctor, an ideal son, an amazing brother, a perfect family man, a loving husband, a loyal friend and most of all, the world’s greatest dad that has ever graced this Earth,” the obituary by his wife stated.