Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Searchlight, Nevada 89406
Saturday, December 24, 1994 12:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. WITNESSES 1 MILE AWAY SAID THE WEATHER AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF RAIN SHOWERS AND VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO IN CLOUDS. THE PILOT OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING IN WHICH VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, RAIN SHOWERS, RESTRICTED VISIBILITIES, AND ICING ALONG HIS PROJECTED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AFTER THE BRIEFING, THE PILOT PHONED AN ASSOCIATE IN LOS ANGELES AND SAID HE WOULD TRY TO FLY SOUTH ALONG HIGHWAY 95 TO CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND THAT HE HAD TO STAY BELOW 5,000 MSL DUE TO THE FREEZING LEVEL. HIGHWAY 95 RUNS SOUTH FROM BOULDER CITY THROUGH THE ELDORADO MOUNTAINS. SEARCHLIGHT IS LOCATED IN A MOUNTAIN PASS AT THE HIGHEST POINT ALONG THE HIGHWAY. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS LOCATED ABOUT 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF SEARCHLIGHT AND 1/2 MILE EAST OF HIGHWAY 95. AT AN ELEVATION OF 4,200 FEET MSL, THE SITE IS 138 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. ON-SITE EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ROCK OUTCROPPING IN NEAR-LEVEL FLIGHT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's intentional continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/24/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1245 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | SEARCHLIGHT |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89406 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1245 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | P06 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 692 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| 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 | 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1552 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 24 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2351 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3836T |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA060 |
| 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-30154 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NATHAN A. SOLESBEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5027 E. WOODWIND LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANAHEIM |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92807 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CHARLES V. PACINI |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 786 VIA MONTEVIDEO |
| Operator City | CLAREMONT |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91711 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 61B |
| Departure City | BOULDER CITY |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1220 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | POC |
| Destination City | LA VERNE |
| 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 10:34AM |
| 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 | -- |