Gilliespie Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lakeside, California 92040
Wednesday, June 5, 1991 22:37 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A CESSNA 172 COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DURING NIGHT VFR FLT. THE PLT WAS NON-INSTRUMENT RATED AND WAS VFR ON TOP OF A 1,500 FT CEILING ABOVE HIS DEST. THE PLT WAS IN RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL TRACON. THE PLT DID NOT REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM THE TRACON TO AVOID THE WX CONDITIONS. INSTEAD THE PLT ELECTED TO FIND A HOLE IN THE OVERCAST. THE TRACON ISSUED A WARNING TO THE PLT OF HIGH TERRAIN. THE PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLIGHT BELOW THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALTITUDE UNDER HIS OWN NAVIGATION AND REPORTED THAT HE HAD GND CONTACT. THE TRACON THEN INFORMED THE PLT OF HIS LOCATION RELATIVE TO THE APRT AND INFORMED HIM HE WAS HEADING TOWARDS THE HIGH TERRAIN. HIS ALT READOUT WAS ABOUT 2,600 FT MSL. THE PLT THEN REQUESTED A VECTOR TO THE APRT. THE TRACON INFORMED THE PLT OF A WESTBOUND HEADING TO THE APRT. THE PLT TURNED TO THE HEADING AND THEN REVERSE COURSE AND HEADED EAST TOWARDS EVEN HIGHER TERRAIN. RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE EAST SLOPE OF A 1,868 FT RIDGE AT 1,500 LVL ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO REQUEST RADAR ASSISTANCE TO AVOID LOW CEILINGS IN HIGH TERRAIN AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE VISUAL OUTLOOK WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH HIGH TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS SPECIFICALLY LOW CLOUDS AND THE LIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE DARK NIGHT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/5/1991
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2237
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LAKESIDE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92040
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport GILLIESPIE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SEE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 11
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 385
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2155 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 253
Weather Observation Facility ID NKX
Elevation of weather observation facility 477
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 17
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 1
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 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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1768
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45646
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:20AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5814A
NTSB Number LAX91FA247
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model C-172
Aircraft Series Identifier C-172
Aircraft Serial Number 28414
Certified Max Gross Weight 2220
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 13 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TURNER, ROBERT W.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9274 CALLE LUCIA
Aircraft Owner City LAKESIDE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92040
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name TURNER, ROBERT W.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 9274 CALLE LUCIA
Operator City LAKESIDE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92040
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 BFL
Departure City BAKERSFIELD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 2000
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SEE
Destination City EL CAJON
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 10:35AM
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 --