Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pine Mountain, California 93222
Sunday, September 19, 1993 20:15 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT DEPARTED OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FOR A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT TO THE LOS ANGELES AREA. HE REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO LOS ANGELES ATC, HE WAS ASKED HIS NEXT POINT OF NAVIGATION. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS GOING DIRECT GORMAN, DIRECT BRACKETT FIELD. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT LA ATC, SECTOR 13. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THAT SECTOR, AND WAS TOLD BY THE PREVIOUS SECTOR TO REATTEMPT CONTACT IN 15 MILES. NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED BY THE PILOT. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES WEST OF THE GORMAN VOR; THE VOR TO WHICH THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO FLY 'DIRECT'. ACCORDING TO WEATHER INFORMATION AND SUN/MOON TABLES, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY DARK NIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE MOON ILLUMINATION. THE MAXIMUM ELEVATION FIGURE FOR THIS PARTICULAR QUADRANGLE ON THE VFR SECTIONAL IS 9,200 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,750 FEET MSL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT IN COMMAND DID NOT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WITH THE TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE POOR IN FLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING BY THE PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/19/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 2015
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City PINE MOUNTAIN
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93222
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 9
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2046 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 320
Weather Observation Facility ID VNY
Elevation of weather observation facility 799
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 55
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 19
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
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 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) 902
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 20 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1813
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Sep 25 2006 4:02PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\ZUZL
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9778Y
NTSB Number LAX93FA360
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 95-A55
Aircraft Series Identifier 95-A55
Aircraft Serial Number TC439
Certified Max Gross Weight 5000
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 2
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 LAWRENCE PACE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 211 NORTH AVENIDA ALIPAZ
Aircraft Owner City WALNUT
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91789
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 A
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 OAK
Departure City OAKLAND
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1843
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code POC
Destination City BRACKET FIELD
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 --