Piper PA-28-180 N3953R

Summary

On 25 December 2005 at about 07:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N3953R was involved in an accident near Hopland, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 December 2005 at 07:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hopland, California, United States

Coordinates

38.9122, -123.0631

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N3953R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ukiah → Santa Rosa

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX06LA068

1 person died.

The non-instrument rated pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions and the low clouds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated private pilot flew the airplane during a dark, night, cross-country flight, in marginal visual to instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain at the base of a hill. During the accident flight, a witness observed the airplane flying low in foggy conditions. The witness described the weather as very foggy, with the clouds extending low into the valley, just above the airplane. The witness added that the aircraft did not seem to have any problems. The pilot elected to depart on the cross-country flight despite the marginal weather conditions and limited visibility. Examination of the damage sustained by the airplane revealed that it impacted terrain in a controlled manner. Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have affected the controllability of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.