Langerud VARIEZE N91CL

Summary

On 2 March 1993 at about 01:58 local time, a Langerud VARIEZE registered N91CL was involved in an accident near Zenia, 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

2 March 1993 at 01:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Zenia, California, United States

Coordinates

39.1810, -120.9790

Aircraft

Langerud VARIEZE

Registration

N91CL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Roseburg → Hayward

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX93LA148

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S POOR WEATHER EVALUATION AND CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE LOW CEILING WAS A FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED DURING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. ABOUT 48 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER AND ADVISED HIM THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. THE SECTOR CONTROLLER COULD NOT RADAR IDENTIFY THE AIRPLANE AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CONTACT ANOTHER SECTOR CONTROLLER. THE PILOT BECAME CONFUSED AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT VARIOUS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WITHOUT SUCCESS. AN AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MADE INITIAL VISUAL CONTACT, BUT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ENTERED INTO THE CLOUDS AND COULD NOT BE RELOCATED. THE AIRLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK SOME TREES IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHILE IN A STEEP DESCENDING ATTITUDE. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.