Piper PA-32R-300 N400LA

Summary

On 15 December 1987 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N400LA, operated by Gilbert D. Evans, was involved in an accident near Lakeport, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 December 1987 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeport, California, United States

Coordinates

39.0407, -122.9293

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N400LA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gilbert D. Evans

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Novato → Lakeport

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA88FA031

1 person died.

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

ALTHOUGH WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE MARGINALLY VFR AT HIS DEPARTURE POINT, AND THE PILOT HAD ACCESS TO A VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO DRIVE TO HIS DEST, HE DEPARTED NOVATO, CA, ENROUTE TO LAKEPORT, CA, WITHOUT OBTAINING A WX BRIEFING NOR FILING A FLT PLAN. SHORTLY AFT DEPARTURE AND AGAIN NEARING HIS DEST HE RECEIVED INFLT WX INFO FM UKIAH FSS AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE REPORTED BAD WX IN THE VIC OF HIS ROUTE OF FLT. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCD SITE REPORTED SNOW, STRONG WINDS, LOW CEILINGS, AND WORSENING CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCD. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A SHALLOW RIDGE IN LOW MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE IN AN UPRIGHT, SLIGHTLY DESCENDING RIGHT WING DOWN ATTITUDE. THE ELEVATION OF THE GROUND IMPACT SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2450 FEET AND THE CLOUD BASES WERE REPORTED AT UKIAH AS APPROXIMATELY 2600 FEET MSL NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.