Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lebec, California 93243
Thursday, March 26, 1992 16:45 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ABOUT 30 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PLT RECEIVED AN IN-FLT WX BRIEF FROM EN ROUTE FLIGHT ADVISORY SERVICE (EFAS). THE PLT INDICATED TO THE EFAS THAT HE RECEIVED AN AIRMET REGARDING ICING CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE. THE PLT WAS THEN BRIEFED ON THUNDERSHOWERS, FREQUENT LIGHTNING CLOUD TO GND, AND PLT REPORTS OF MOD TURB AND LT MIXED ICING. THE PLT CONTINUED ON HIS FLT ROUTE AND 25 MIN AFTER HIS WX BRIEFING REPORTED AIRFRAME ICING CONDITIONS TO ATC. ATC ADVISED THE PLT OF MORE SEVERE WX AHEAD AND RECOMMENDED THE LT REVERSE COURSE. LESS THAN ONE MIN LATER, THE PLT REPORTED BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. ATC AMENDED THE PLT'S CLEARANCE INSTRUCTING HIM TO REVERSE COURSE WITH A LEFT TURN HEADING 330 DEG. THE PLT READ BACK THE CLEARANCE. AFTERWARDS BOTH RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST. RADAR DATA REVEALED THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT TURN AND CLIMBED 200 FT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED ABOUT 1,200 FT IN 35 SECONDS. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH DE-ICING SYSTEMS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DELAYED INFLIGHT DECISION TO REVERSE COURSE TO AVOID FORECAST ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS ICING CONDITIONS AND LIGHTNING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | LEBEC |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93243 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1552 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 331 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 507 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| 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 | Moderate |
| 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) | 2686 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47486 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4335N |
| NTSB Number | LAX92FA151 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR/IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA 28-236 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA 28-236 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 84 11007 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | Mar 1 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 1131 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | N V CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7507 BURNET |
| Aircraft Owner City | VAN NUYS |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91405 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | N V CORPORATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 7507 BURNET |
| Operator City | VAN NUYS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91405 |
| 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) | Business |
| 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 | 1446 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VNY |
| Destination City | VAN NUYS |
| 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 | -- |