Piper PA-24-250 N7293P

Summary

On 28 March 1989 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7293P was involved in an accident near Whitmore, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 March 1989 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Whitmore, California, United States

Coordinates

40.6295, -121.8706

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7293P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portland → Fall River Mill

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89FA137

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT WITH KNOWN FORECAST IMC ALONG HIS ROUTE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WX BRIEFING. THE BRIEFING FORECASTED MODERATE TURBULENCE, ICING, AND LOW CEILINGS IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHICH WAS ALONG HIS ROUTE. THE PILOT DEPARTED VFR. HE ENCOUNTERED FORECAST IMC CONDITIONS WHILE EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION. THE PILOT THEN INITIATED A CLIMB AND CONTACTED ATC FOR AN IFR CLEARANCE. ATC CLEARED THE PILOT FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO AN AIRPORT OTHER THAN HIS DESTINATION. DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED BELOW THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS. THE PILOT CANCELED HIS IFR CLEARANCE AND ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED VFR. MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WAS ALONG HIS ROUTE. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED BY LOW CEILINGS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN FLYING INTO THE CLOUDS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.