Piper PA-22-108 N4901Z

Summary

On 8 July 2011 at about 20:15 local time, a Piper PA-22-108 registered N4901Z, operated by John Thomason, was involved in an accident near Frazier Park, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2011 at 20:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Frazier Park, California, United States

Coordinates

34.7378, -119.2514

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-108

Registration

N4901Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John Thomason

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Los Banos → Lompoc

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA318

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s geographic disorientation, which resulted in an off-airport precautionary landing in soft terrain and a subsequent nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the flight, he was following an interstate highway and that he then turned west to intercept a state highway and head toward his destination. He was flying about 1,000 feet above mountainous terrain when he became lost and disoriented while trying to navigate using maps and GPS. He then thought that the airplane was losing altitude. Subsequently, he concentrated on the terrain rather than direction, decided to make an off-airport landing, and landed the airplane in a dry river bottom. During the landing roll, the nosewheel dug into soft dirt, and the airplane nosed over. Postaccident engine and airframe examinations revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.