Piper PA-28-140 N17D
22 March 1996 · Moreno Valley, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 22 March 1996 at about 20:41 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N17D was involved in an accident near Moreno Valley, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:41
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Moreno Valley, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.9205, -117.2407
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140
- Registration
- N17D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Chino → Deer Valley
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX96FA139
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
VFR flight by the noninstrument-rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The terrain and adverse weather conditions were related factors.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The accident site was in an area of mountainous terrain. Impact occurred on the side of a 3,100 foot mountain at an elevation of about 2000 feet. Witnesses said the aircraft made several steep turns, as well as several climbs and descents as it was flying in and out of the clouds. It was last observed heading in the direction of the accident site. The aircraft wings rocked from side to side just before reentering the clouds. A few seconds later, the witnesses heard the sound of the aircraft striking terrain. After impact, there were no further engine sounds. The base of a cloud layer obscured the accident site and top of the mountain. The pilot obtained a weather briefing before departure, and he was advised that an AIRMET was in effect concerning mountain obscuration in clouds, fog and precipitation, and for occasional moderate turbulence below 15,000 feet. The pilot possessed an FAA commercial certificate, which was based on a Swiss commercial certificate, but no record of an instrument rating was found.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-28 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-28-181 | Muncie, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Oct 1996 | Piper PA-28-140 | Kumamoto, Japan | McAs Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1996 | Piper PA-28-140 | Plymouth, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Ely, Nevada, United States | Michael E. Scholl | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Hartford, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1996 | Maule M-6-235 | Bishop, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1996 | Cessna 210A | Truckee, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1996 | Cessna 152 | Santa Paula, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1996 | Cessna T210M | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1996 | Cessna 172L | Napa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 1996 | North American F-86 | Salinas, California, United States | Clyde S. Eberhardt | No injuries | - |