Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Zenia, California 95945
Monday, March 1, 1993 17:58 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED DURING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. ABOUT 48 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER AND ADVISED HIM THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. THE SECTOR CONTROLLER COULD NOT RADAR IDENTIFY THE AIRPLANE AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CONTACT ANOTHER SECTOR CONTROLLER. THE PILOT BECAME CONFUSED AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT VARIOUS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WITHOUT SUCCESS. AN AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MADE INITIAL VISUAL CONTACT, BUT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ENTERED INTO THE CLOUDS AND COULD NOT BE RELOCATED. THE AIRLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK SOME TREES IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHILE IN A STEEP DESCENDING ATTITUDE. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S POOR WEATHER EVALUATION AND CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE LOW CEILING WAS A FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/1/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1758
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City ZENIA
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95945
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 3
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1800 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 55
Weather Observation Facility ID RDD
Elevation of weather observation facility 502
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 74
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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 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) 1037
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 12 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N91CL
NTSB Number LAX93LA148
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 LANGERUD
Aircraft Model VARIEZE
Aircraft Series Identifier VARIEZE
Aircraft Serial Number 1317
Certified Max Gross Weight 1100
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
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 Jan 4 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 4
Airframe Hours 765
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LUIS GARCIA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 22 HOMEWOOD CT.
Aircraft Owner City SAN FRANCISCO
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94112
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
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 RBG
Departure City ROSEBURG
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1600
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HWD
Destination City HAYWARD
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --