Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ely, Nevada 89301
Thursday, October 29, 1992 9:54 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR IDAHO. EN ROUTE THEY STOPPED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAS VEGAS WHERE THERE WAS A DIRT LANDING STRIP. THE NEXT MORNING A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE DEPART AT ABOUT 0800 HOURS. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED NOR ANY RECORD OF EITHER A PREFLIGHT OR INFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT THE DESTINATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED BY A NEVADA FISH AND GAME HELICOPTER ABOUT 21 DAYS AFTER IT HAD DISAPPEARED. THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN AT ABOUT 8300 FEET MSL, IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AT GREAT SPEED. WEATHER DATA REVEALED THAT IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT THE CEILING WAS OVERCAST AT 2700 FEET AGL, WITH TOPS FROM 17000 TO 19000 FEET MSL AND SEVERE MIXED ICING WAS PRESENT ABOVE THE 9,500 FOOT MSL FREEZING LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE HAD NO DEICE OR ANTIICE EQUIPMENT, THE OXYGEN SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
1) THE PILOTS DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WHICH INCLUDED MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT AND SEVERE MIXED ICING, AND, 2) HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO A PROBABLE AERODYNAMIC STALL INDUCED BY SEVERE AIRFRAME ICING. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE FORECAST WEATHER CONDITIONS OF ICING, LOW CLOUD CEILINGS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, AND 2) THE PILOTS FAILURE TO OBTAIN EITHER PREFLIGHT OR INFLIGHT WEATHER INFORMATION FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/29/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 954 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | ELY |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89301 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 950 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6255 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| 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 | Light |
| 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) | 828 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 19 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48327 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N102F |
| NTSB Number | LAX93FA045 |
| 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 | D50A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | D50A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | DH-173 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7300 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 22 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4575 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES L. RICHARDS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2071 BAYMEADOWS DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PLACENTIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92670 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JAMES L. RICHARDS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2071 BAYMEADOWS DR. |
| Operator City | PLACENTIA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 92670 |
| Operator Code | 0 |
| 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 | 0L7 |
| Departure City | JEAN |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 800 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | S67 |
| Destination City | NAMPA |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |