Cessna 320D N9HS

Summary

On 4 July 1988 at about 23:52 local time, a Cessna 320D registered N9HS was involved in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

4 July 1988 at 23:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Mammoth Lakes, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mammoth/June Lakes (MMH)

Coordinates

37.5809, -118.8398

Aircraft

Cessna 320D

Registration

N9HS

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mammoth Lakes → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX88FA245

4 people 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

THE PILOT EXECUTED A LEFT (SOUTH) CROSSWIND DEPARTURE TOWARDS HIGHER TERRAIN AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 27; THE PLT WAS FOLLOWING A SLOWER SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE THAT HAD PRECEDED HIS DEPARTURE. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED THE HIGHER TERRAIN IT ENTERED INTO A LEFT BANKING TURN. DURING THE TURN THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS OSCILLATED RAPIDLY. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND CRASHED INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER OF CALIF STATE HWY 395 WHICH IS ADJACENT TO & PARALLELS THE EAST/WEST RUNWAY. THE POST ACCIDENT AIRPLANE/ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. THE AIRPLANE HAD EXCEEDED ITS MAX GROSS T.O. WEIGHT AND IT WAS NEAR ITS AFT CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMITS. THE PLT HAD COMPLAINED TO HIS DR. ABOUT EPISODES OF FORGETFULNESS AND CONFUSION. THE DR. RECOMMENDED THAT THE PILOT CEASE ANY FLYING ACTIVITIES UNTIL HIS MEDICAL CONDITION WAS DIAGNOSED AND TREATED. THE PLT DID NOT HEED THE DRS. ADVICE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.