Piper PA-28-140 N8719N

Summary

On 6 April 2003 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N8719N was involved in an accident near Big Bear Lake, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 April 2003 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear Lake, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City (L35)

Coordinates

34.2169, -116.9336

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N8719N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Bear Lake → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03FA131

2 people died.

the pilot's inadequate decision regarding a departure route and his failure to maintain clearance with rapidly rising mountainous terrain. A factor in the accident was the pilot's impairment by the effects of exposure to marijuana within the 10-hour period prior to the flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted steep mountainous terrain while climbing after departure approximately 5 miles to the southwest of the departure airport. The airport was surrounded by 7,600-foot to 8,000-foot mountain ridges to the north, south, and east. To the west was a 6-mile-long lake ending in a dam and then a descending valley. Weather was clear skies with winds from the southwest at 6 knots. The pilot flew a southwestern departure route from the airport that crossed rugged mountainous terrain within 5 miles of the airport. This route was not the departure route recommended by the Big Bear City Airport; however, this pilot had recommended this route to at least one other pilot he had flown with in the past. The pilot misjudged the altitude required to cross these mountains and collided with terrain. No preaccident anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine. Toxicology lab results indicated that the pilot had been exposed to marijuana within the 10 hours prior to the flight. Medical analysis indicated that the pilot may have been somewhat impaired by the affects of marijuana, but it is unclear what role such impairment might have played in the decision making that set the stage for this accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.