Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Green Valley, California 91350
Monday, October 11, 1993 13:10 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The CFI planned to check out his student, who was a foreign country airline pilot, in the North American T-6G. The CFI planned to fly in a northward direction to Lancaster, which required traveling over rising mountainous terrain. At departure, a broken ceiling existed with a 3,000-foot msl base. Witnesses observed the northbound T-6G flying below the clouds and maneuvering up a canyon. Seconds before the airplane made a 180-degree course reversal turn and impacted the side of a mountain, it was observed flying in a northward direction 100 to 200 feet over a home and just below the cloud bases. The visibility was estimated at 0.25 miles, and the crash site elevation was about 3,600 feet msl.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the CFI's failure to maintain the proper altitude while flying over mountainous terrain, and his inadvertent flight into instrument weather conditions. Contributing factors were the CFI's improper in-flight decision to fly at the low altitude and his misjudged evaluation of the weather.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/11/1993
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1310
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City GREEN VALLEY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91350
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 10
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 Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 200
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) 1732
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 11 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7765C
NTSB Number LAX94FA009
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 NORTH AMERICAN
Aircraft Model T-6G
Aircraft Series Identifier T-6G
Aircraft Serial Number 50-1288A
Certified Max Gross Weight 5300
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 Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 6 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FRANCIS W. ELLIOT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 211 S. EL MOLINO AVENUE, #5
Aircraft Owner City PASADENA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 91101
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FRANCIS W. ELLIOT
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 211 S. EL MOLINO AVENUE, #5
Operator City PASADENA
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 91101
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code VNY
Departure City VAN NUYS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1246
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code WJF
Destination City LANCASTER
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 10:30AM
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 --