Plane Crash List

Piper PA-28-140 N943R

24 December 1996 · San Diego, California, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 24 December 1996 at about 19:33 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N943R was involved in an accident near San Diego, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 19:33
Classification
Accident
Location
San Diego, California, United States
Nearest airport
Montgomery Field (MYF)
Coordinates
32.8006, -117.1292
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-140
Registration
N943R
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX97FA075

People

2 people died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
4 2 0 2 0

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot-in-command of the Piper PA-28, N943R, to maintain an adequate visual lookout to see and avoid the Cessna 150, N63137. A factor in the accident was the failure of the air traffic controller to issue a traffic advisory to the pilot concerning the Cessna 150.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

When the low wing Piper PA-28, N943R, contacted the tower 5 miles east of the airport, the tower controller pointed out the Cessna 150, N63137, at 11 o'clock, 2 miles, and instructed the pilot to fly southbound and report that aircraft in sight. The transmission was not acknowledged, and the Piper pilot flew southwest bound and never reported the Cessna in sight. When both aircraft were on a 3-mile final approach to parallel runways, the controller, with both aircraft in sight, issued a traffic advisory to the Cessna regarding the Piper behind them, but did not issue a traffic advisory to the Piper regarding the Cessna in front of them. The two aircraft collided in flight, 1.5 miles east of the airport. The Piper, with a student pilot in the left seat and a flight instructor in the right seat, overtook the high wing aircraft from above, behind and to the right. The lower fuselage of the Piper contacted the upper fuselage and propeller of the high wing aircraft. The Cessna's propeller severed the primary control cables of the Piper and it descended out of control and crashed. The Cessna made a off-airport forced landing and collided with a berm during the ground roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Aircraft involved

Aircraft Registration Operator Damage
Piper PA-28-140 PA-28-140 N943R - Destroyed
Cessna 150M 150M N63137 - Substantial

Other Piper PA-28 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
21 Apr 1996 Piper PA-28
N8873J
Wasilla, Alaska, United States
approximate position
- No injuries -
8 Aug 1996 Piper PA-28-181
N9137N
Muncie, Indiana, United States - Fatal 2
12 Oct 1996 Piper PA-28-140
N210SK
Kumamoto, Japan
approximate position
McAs Flying Club Serious injuries -
3 Oct 1996 Piper PA-28-140
N5705U
Plymouth, California, United States - No injuries -
6 Oct 1996 Piper PA-28-180
N6614J
Ely, Nevada, United States Michael E. Scholl Serious injuries -
20 Aug 1996 Piper PA-28-180
N9209J
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
N5652C
Bishop, California, United States - No injuries -
11 Oct 1996 Cessna 210A
N9403X
Truckee, California, United States
approximate position
- Minor injuries -
8 Mar 1996 Cessna 152
N49048
Santa Paula, California, United States - Serious injuries -
13 Mar 1996 Cessna T210M
N8683M
Grass Valley, California, United States - Serious injuries -
14 Mar 1996 Cessna 172L
N7668G
Napa, California, United States - No injuries -
6 Oct 1996 North American F-86
N186SE
Salinas, California, United States Clyde S. Eberhardt No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States