Piper PA-28-181 N4527F

Summary

On 24 May 1989 at about 21:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4527F was involved in an accident near Dinsmore, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 May 1989 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Dinsmore, California, United States

Coordinates

40.4594, -123.6702

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4527F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eureka → Lakeport

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89FA211

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION, HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO FLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE URGENCY TO RETURN FOR OTHER PLANNED ACTIVITIES, THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN CONDITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD CONTACTED FSS EARLIER IN THE DAY AT 0640 AND REQUESTED ONLY CURRENT WX AT EUREKA FOR A ROUND-TRIP FLT FROM LAKEPORT TO EUREKA & RETURN. THE FLT DEPARTED EUREKA AT ABOUT 1415 FOR THE RETURN FLT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING VERY LOW IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; ONE WITNESS STATED '... HE CAME UP OUT OF THE FOG AT CLOSE TO TREETOP LEVEL ...' THE WX WAS DESCRIBED AS LOW CLOUDS, FOG, AND LIGHT RAIN. WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN RISING 4,900-FT MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. PILOT TYPICALLY FLEW NEAR HWY 101 EXCEPT DURING INCLEMENT WX WHEN HE WOULD DIVERT TO THE EAST & FLY VIA HWY 36. HE HAD A MOTOR VEHICLE PARKED AT RUTH AIRPORT FOR USE IN INSTANCES OF VERY POOR WX. PILOT HAD ANOTHER FLT SCHEDULED FOR 1500 AT LAKEPORT, AND WAS ALSO SCHEDULED TO TEACH SCHOOL AT 1800.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.