Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mt San Jacinto, California 92349
Monday, January 13, 1997 14:39 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After takeoff, the pilot requested radar flight following service for his flight from Torrance through the Banning Pass to Palm Springs. Clouds were present in the Banning Pass area. At 1435:21, while proceeding at 7,600 feet in an easterly direction, the pilot asked the controller 'we on course through the Banning Pass?' The controller responded at 1435:26 and informed the pilot '. . . you're not through the Banning Pass but the Banning Pass is at eleven o'clock and eight miles.' There were no further communications from the pilot. The airplane continued cruising about 7,600 feet (mode C transponder altitude) on an east-northeasterly course until impacting terrain about 3.5 miles from the western side of Mt San Jacinto (peak elevation: 10,804 feet). Elevation of the crash site was 7,650 feet. A handheld type GPS receiver was found in the wreckage, and it was functionally tested. Extracted data revealed the GPS receiver had been operating during the accident flight. It had accurately recorded the airplane's flight track and indicated the airplane's last location within 1/2 mile of the crash site. The pilot was familiar with the southern California area.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
continued VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain proper altitude or clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the high/mountainous terrain, and the adverse weather condition (low ceiling/clouds).
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/13/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1439 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | MT SAN JACINTO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92349 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1447 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 78 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 462 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| 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) | 1157 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 13 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1740 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N31706 |
| NTSB Number | LAX97FA089 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | F33A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | F33A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CE-1284 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 18 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 84 |
| Airframe Hours | 1012 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRADLEY & CAROLYN HUMPHREY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR 3 BOX 2629A |
| Aircraft Owner City | BANDON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97411 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 30935 VIA RIVERA |
| Operator City | RNCHO PLS VRD |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 90275 |
| 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 | TOA |
| Departure City | TORRANCE |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1408 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PSP |
| Destination City | PALM SPRINGS |
| 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 | -- |