Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
June Lake, California 93529
Monday, November 29, 1993 17:49 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A 329 NAUTICAL MILE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINS AND DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. ABOUT 88 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED, BUT WAS MISSING FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS. IT WAS FOUND AT ABOUT THE 12,200 FOOT LEVEL OF A MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 2 MILES WEST OF THE DIRECT COURSE LINE FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT TO THE DESTINATION. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS FOUND OVER A 1,500 FOOT AREA. THE EMPENNAGE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, BUT WAS NOT FOUND, EXCEPT THE RUDDER AND ELEVATOR COUNTERWEIGHTS WERE FOUND IN DEBRIS NORTH OF THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN AREA NAVIGATION SYSTEM, LORAN-C, AND A PORTABLE GPS. THE AUTOPILOT WAS FOUND ENGAGED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEAL THAT A PITCH TRIM SPRING IN THE AUTOPILOT PITCH SERVO HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AVIONICS IN THE AIRPLANE BELONGED TO AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED STOLEN. THERE WERE NO RECORDS FOUND OF ANY INSPECTIONS OR MAINTENANCE BEING PERFORMED ON THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO EXCEED ITS DESIGN LIMITS (AIRSPEED AND/OR STRESS LIMITS) AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING A DESCENT. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS (NIGHT OR LATE DUSK), THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE ADEQUATE MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, AND FATIGUE FAILURE OF A PITCH TRIM SPRING IN THE AUTOPILOT PITCH SERVO.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/29/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1749 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | JUNE LAKE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93529 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | 1151 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 316 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6264 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 76 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| 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) | 1574 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 8 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5788U |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA278 |
| 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 | MOONEY |
| Aircraft Model | M20K |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20K |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| 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 | BALDWIN, GERALD E. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1222 MAGNOLIA AVE, #223 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CORONA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91719 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | O04 |
| Departure City | CARSON CITY |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CNO |
| Destination City | CHINO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| 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 | -- |