Piper PA 28-181 N82716

Summary

On 28 July 1991 at about 18:50 local time, a Piper PA 28-181 registered N82716, operated by West Valley Flying Club Inc., was involved in an accident near Sonora, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 1991 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Sonora, California, United States

Coordinates

37.9798, -120.3898

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-181

Registration

N82716

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

West Valley Flying Club Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palo Alto → Markleeville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX91FA333

3 people died.

FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR/PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE FLIGHT AND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED BY EXCEEDING THE CLIMB PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRPLANE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PLANNING AND HIS SELECTION OF AN IMPROPER ALTITUDE FOR FLIGHT INTO RISING TERRAIN DURING HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND TWO CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOTS WERE PARTICIPATING IN A MOUNTAIN FLYING TRAINING SEMINAR AS PART OF A THREE AIRPLANE FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY UP A CANYON TOWARDS A 9,600 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, BELOW SURROUNDING CANYON WALLS. THE TERRAIN RISES RAPIDLY AT THE END OF THE CANYON. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM HIGH TERRAIN, PULL UP INTO A NOSE HIGH ALTITUDE, AND DESCEND FROM VIEW. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE STRUCK A PINE TREE WITH THE RIGHT WINGTIP, STRIKE ANOTHER TREE, AND THEN COLLIDE WITH A LARGE ROCK OUTCROPPING AT ABOUT 9,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. AN INTENSE POST IMACCT FIRE CONSUMED ALMOST ALL OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING AND TAIL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 12,000 FEET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.