Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gorman, California 93234
Sunday, February 7, 1993 12:27 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT OBTAINED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTING ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH THREE PASSENGERS. VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND RAIN THAT EXISTED ALONG THE INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY TOWARD AN AREA OF RISING TERRAIN AND LOW CLOUDS. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO A HILLSIDE, ABOUT 200 FEET BELOW A VOR STATION THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/7/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1227
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City GORMAN
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93234
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 2
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1246 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 132
Weather Observation Facility ID BUR
Elevation of weather observation facility 775
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 43
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 15
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 20
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 222
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 8 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1635
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52255
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N79411
NTSB Number LAX93FA110
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 172K
Aircraft Series Identifier 172K
Aircraft Serial Number 17258062
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 4 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 86
Airframe Hours 3440
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THOMAS ATKINSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5359 GRANT COURT
Aircraft Owner City FREMONT
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94538
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PAUL SCHMIDT
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2664 KIMBALL DR.
Operator City SAN JOSE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 95121
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 BUR
Departure City BURBANK
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1156
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 --