Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mammoth-June Lakes Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mammoth Lakes, California 93546
Sunday, April 26, 1992 15:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING & A LOCAL AUTOMATED WX OBSERVATION THAT REPORTED STANDING LENTICULAR CLOUDS & 9100' DENSITY ALTITUDE. HE TOOK OFF ON RWY 27, WHICH SLOPED UPWARD & WAS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE WIND WAS REPORTEDLY FROM 270 DEG AT 4 GUSTING 18 KTS & THE ACFT WAS LOADED AT/NEAR ITS MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WT. THE PLT SAID THAT FOR TAKEOFF, THE MIXTURE WAS SET FOR 'HIGHEST RPM AND PEAK EGT,' BUT THE FLT MANUAL RECOMMENDED THE MIXTURE BE LEANED ACCORDING TO THE MAXIMUM POWER FUEL FLOW PLACARD. AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE PLT HAD DIFFICULTY ESTABLISHING A CLIMB. HE SAID THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLIMB AFTER REACHING 500' AGL & BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. A PASSENGER SAID THE PLT CIRCLED & TRIED TO GAIN ALTITUDE, BUT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. REPORTEDLY, THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED ALMOST CON- TINUOUSLY. THE PLT SAID HE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT THE DESCENT INCREASED. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED SHORT OF RWY 27 & THE ACFT HIT DITCHES DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE ENG WAS NOT DAMAGED & WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITHOUT REPAIR.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INACCURATE WEATHER EVALUATION, HIS IMPROPER SETTING OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLIMB AIRSPEED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, UNFAVORABLE WIND WITH MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY AND DOWNDRAFTS, THE PILOT'S APPARENT LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE TYPE OF OPERATION (MOUNTAIN FLYING), AND DITCHES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/26/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | MAMMOTH LAKES |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93546 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MAMMOTH-JUNE LAKES |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MMH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 7128 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| 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 | 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) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 31 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 9600 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1994 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46733 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N33248 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA190 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 177RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 177RG |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 177RGO932 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Unknown |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 15 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HILL, ROBERT E. & BETSY E. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3906 TANBARK PLACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | BLENDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91214 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HILL, ROBERT E. & BETSY E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3906 TANBARK PLACE |
| Operator City | BLENDALE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91214 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | MMH |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1520 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BUR |
| Destination City | BURBANK |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| 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 | 27 |
| Runway Length | 7000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |