Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pine Mountain Lake Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Groveland, California 95321
Monday, December 5, 1994 18:53 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT SITE IS AT 3,440 FEET IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE NONINSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT FLEW REGULARLY INTO THE PINE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT. RECORDED RADAR DATA DISCLOSED A SECONDARY MODE C BEACON TARGET THAT DISAPPEARED WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE CRASH. THE TARGET FLEW ON A RELATIVELY CONSTANT NORTHEASTERLY HEADING WHILE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A DESCENT FROM APPROXIMATELY 5,700 FEET AND THE LAST RADAR RETURN SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED TO 3,800 FEET MSL. A PILOT AT THE AIRPORT STATED THAT WEATHER HAD BEEN 'UP AND DOWN' ALL DAY WITH LOW CLOUD LAYERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE VERY FEW GROUND LIGHTS IN THE AREA OF THE CRASH AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN ON A DARK NIGHT. CELLULAR TELEPHONE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT MADE THREE PHONE CALLS DURING THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT WITH ONE UNCOMPLETED CALL RECORDED ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE NIGHT WAS DARK WITH NO MOON.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate terrain clearance during a nighttime descent into the airport over an unlighted mountainous area. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction by attempting to make several cellular telephone calls during a critical phase of flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/5/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1853 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | GROVELAND |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95321 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Q68 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 350 |
| Airport Elevation | 2930 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1846 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MOD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 97 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 45 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1957 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 6 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1545 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4510J |
| NTSB Number | LAX95FA044 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-180 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-30366 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 4757 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ARROW ASSOCIATES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 991 BELLMO AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SUNNYVALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94086 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SJC |
| Departure City | SAN JOSE |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | Q68 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | 9 |
| Runway Length | 3625 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |