Piper PA-28R-180 N4506J

Summary

On 18 June 2005 at about 20:53 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N4506J was involved in an accident near Mt. Shasta, 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

18 June 2005 at 20:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Mt. Shasta, California, United States

Coordinates

41.4089, -122.1986

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N4506J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willows → Bellingham

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05FA213

1 person died.

The pilot's continued cruise flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot's controlled flight into high mountainous terrain (CFIT).

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in controlled flight, the airplane collided into rising, high mountainous terrain (CFIT) at the 11,850-foot mean sea level (msl) of Mt. Shasta, about 2,400 feet below the summit. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity. Prior to departure, the pilot had received a weather briefing, and the weather conditions were essentially as forecasted. The cloud bases were between 7,000 and 8,000 feet msl, and the tops extended to 16,000 feet. The upper portion of Mt. Shasta was obscured by the clouds. As evidenced by the airplane's recorded radar track, after departure the pilot climbed to a cruise altitude of 11,500 feet. The pilot had a handheld GPS navigation system, the airplane was equipped with an autopilot, and he was familiar with the flight route. The flight track shown by the recorded radar data was consistent with a direct route between his departure and destination airports, and directly to the accident site. The accident site is in an extremely hazardous avalanche zone on the mountain and neither search and rescue climbers nor Safety Board investigators were able to reach the wreckage. Detailed aerial photographs were taken of the wreckage and reviewed. All aerodynamic surfaces were present at the site. Review of photographs showing the top and bottom surfaces of the airplane revealed no evidence of fire or engine oil leakage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.