Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gilroy, California 95020
Sunday, November 17, 1996 15:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
No record was found of the pilot obtaining a preflight or in-flight weather briefing. An AIRMET valid during the period of the flight forecasted mountain obscuration and IFR conditions in the accident area. The instrument rated pilot flew a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight over mountainous terrain in marginal weather conditions. The aircraft collided with a coastal mountain ridge at the 1,940 foot level; the coastal mountain range was the last terrain feature before the pilot's destination. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed he lacked the recency of experience to fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) under instrument flight rules (IFR). The accident site was obscured by low ceilings during the accident time and subsequently impeded search and rescue operations. Toxicology tests of the pilot's blood and urine detected theophylline (a drug commonly used to treat asthma) at levels of 2.2 mcg/ml and 22.5 mcg/ml, respectively. Also, undetermined levels of ephedrine and phenylopropanolamine (over-th-counter decongestants) were detected in his blood and urine, and an undetermined level of hydrochlorothiazide (a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure) was detected in his blood.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
flight by the pilot into into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude or clearance from mountainous terrain. The adverse weather and terrain conditions were related factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/17/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | GILROY |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95020 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | 281 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1545 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 292 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SJC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 58 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| 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) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1806 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 18 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N48737 |
| NTSB Number | LAX97FA044 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 152 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 152 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15280945 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1610 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 3 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 62 |
| Airframe Hours | 5189 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | INBOUND AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2655 ROBERT FWIR WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN JOSE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95148 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | O22 |
| Departure City | COLUMBIA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RHV |
| Destination City | SAN JOSE |
| 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 | -- |