Grumman AA-5A N26443

Summary

On 31 December 1994 at about 05:30 local time, a Grumman AA-5A registered N26443 was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 December 1994 at 05:30

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Coordinates

35.2505, -120.6207

Aircraft

Grumman AA-5A

Registration

N26443

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Tulare

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX95FA068

2 people died.

the pilot's intentional flight into an area of known marginal weather conditions during a night cross-country flight and the flight's subsequent inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude insufficient to remain clear of the surrounding terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACCIDENT SITE IS ON THE SOUTH FACE OF A MOUNTAIN AT 3,000 FEET MSL. THE MOUNTAIN IS PART OF THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE WHICH SEPARATES SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM THE GREATER SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WHERE THE PILOT'S DESTINATION IS LOCATED. CEILINGS IN THE AREA WERE MEASURED BETWEEN 2,600 AND 2,300 FEET. THE NON INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT RECEIVED TWO WEATHER BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND WAS ADVISED THAT MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED WITH SAN LUIS OBISPO REPORTING A MEASURED CEILING OF 3,500 BROKEN AND VISIBILITY 10 MILES. THE BRIEFER ADDED AN OBSERVATION FROM AN AIRPORT ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, WHICH HAD CEILINGS OF 3,000 FEET OVERCAST. THE BRIEFER THEN PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY OBSERVATIONS INDICATING CLEAR CONDITIONS BELOW 12,000 FEET. THE PILOT RESPONDED, 'THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR US'. THE PILOT STATED HIS INTENDED CRUISE ALTITUDE AS, 'ABOUT FORTY FIVE HUNDRED FEET ONCE WE GET PAST THESE CLOUDS'. THE BURNED AND FRAGMENTED WRECKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER 260 FEET ON A 10-DEGREE DESCENDING PATH ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.