Piper PA-28-140 N2439T

Summary

On 23 March 1987 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N2439T was involved in an accident near Anza, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 March 1987 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Anza, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N2439T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hemet → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX87LA155

2 people had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A LOCAL SIGHT SEEING FLT THE PLT ENTERED A RIVER VALLEY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT ABOUT 1,000 FT AGL. AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES, THE PLT DECIDED TO EXIT THE NARROWING VALLEY WITH A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN OVER A RIDGE LINE. ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY UP THE SLOPE, THE PLT REALIZED THAT THE ACFT MIGHT NOT MAKE THE TOP OF THE RIDGE LINE AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED TO ATTEMPT TO TURN AWAY FROM THE RAPIDLY RISING SLOPE SAFELY SO HE ELECTED TO MAKE A CONTROLLED LANDING AT NEAR STALL SPEED. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE MOUNTAINSIDE ABOUT 300 FT BELOW THE TOP OF THE RIDGE LINE. THE PLT IS AN ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PLT ASSIGNED TO FLY LOCKHEED C-141B TRANSPORTS AND ALL HIS FLT TIME IS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE JETS EXCEPT FOR ABOUT 32 HOURS OF GENERAL AVIATION FLT EXPERIENCE OBTAINED 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT SAID THAT HE OVERESTIMATED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT AND HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN SINGLE ENGINE PROP MOUNTAIN FLYING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.