Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Julian, California 92036
Saturday, April 9, 1994 11:08 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
IN A BRIEFING ON 4/8/94, THE PILOT(S) WERE ADVISED OF FORECAST FRONTAL ACTIVITY, GUSTY WINDS & TURBULENCE BELOW 15,000' ALONG THE ROUTE. THE INSTRUMENT STUDENT SAID THAT DURING FLIGHT ON 4/9/94, THEY ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS AT 8000' & HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO DOWNDRAFTS. THE INSTRUCTOR (CFII) TOOK THE CONTROLS & WAS ALSO UNABLE TO GAIN OR MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE ADVISED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (ATC) OF THE PROBLEM & WAS CLEARED DOWN TO 7000'. SOON THEREAFTER, HE TOLD ATC THE PLANE WAS DESCENDING IN A DOWNDRAFT THROUGH 6300'. ATC ADVISED THE FLIGHT OF A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT & ASKED THEM TO MAINTAIN 7000'. THE CFII REPLIED THAT HE WAS TRYING & ASKED FOR A RADAR VECTOR. ATC WARNED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS BELOW MINIMUM VECTORING ALTITUDE & TO CLIMB AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE DESCENT COULD NOT BE STOPPED & THE PLANE COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAINSIDE AT THE 4800' LEVEL. PERSONNEL IN A NEARBY CABIN SAID THEY WERE ENVELOPED IN A FAST MOVING CLOUD BANK WITH HIGH WINDS. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS FOUND, ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED BY IMPACT & GROUND FIRE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT(S). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/9/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1108 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | JULIAN |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92036 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1146 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CRQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 328 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 484 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 10 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6242D |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA185 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17272659 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 26 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 86 |
| Airframe Hours | 4225 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FRANK SETZLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2375 SOUTH STINSON WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHANDLER |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85249 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DARIN CHRISTENSON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5831 SOUTH 42ND PLACE |
| Operator City | PHOENIX |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85040 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | YUM |
| Departure City | YUMA |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 931 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CRQ |
| Destination City | CARLSBAD |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |