Piper PA-28-235 N8540W

Summary

On 8 August 2005 at about 19:58 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N8540W was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 2005 at 19:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear City, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City (KL35)

Coordinates

34.2511, -116.8506

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N8540W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Big Bear City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

NTSB number

LAX05FA262

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and adequate airspeed while executing an evasive maneuver during an aborted landing, which resulted in a cross-controlled accelerated stall and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the probable presence of another aircraft on the runway traveling in the opposite direction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane made a sudden steep turn to the right, rolled inverted, and impacted the ground just after the landing flare. Witnesses observed the airplane make a normal landing approach to runway 08 and flare. The engine suddenly went to full power, the nose pitched up, and the plane abruptly turned to the right. It then continued to roll right and impacted the ground inverted at the south edge of the airport boundary. The airplane's sudden turn and right roll is consistent with the result of a cross-control stall to the right, as described by the Airplane Flying Handbook. Two witnesses stated that they saw an airplane takeoff from runway 26 (in the opposite direction) moments after the crash. Approximately 5 minutes after the accident radar data identified a contact 2 miles east of the airport, traveling at 85 knots, departing the vicinity. Four minutes would be the approximate amount of time required for an airplane traveling at 85 knots to perform a downwind departure from the airport and appear on radar 2 miles to the east, if it followed the approximate 5.5-mile downwind departure route. Radar coverage to pattern altitude was not possible due to the mountainous terrain in which the airport is located. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure of the control system or power plant.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.