Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Arroyo Grande, California 93420
Wednesday, September 4, 1991 22:49 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE 100 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED A LIMITED PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A PROPOSED NIGHT FLIGHT IN A RENTAL AIRCRAFT. HE WAS ADVISED THAT AIRMET SIERRA WAS IN EFFECT, WHICH CALLED FOR GENERAL IFR CONDITIONS OVER HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A SIGMET FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ALONG THE ROUTE. HE ARRIVED AT HIS DESTINATION LATE IN THE EVENING. WITNESSES STATED THE WEATHER WAS VERY FOGGY WITH ABOUT 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN NEAR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER ALTITUDE, AND CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/4/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2249 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | ARROYO GRANDE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93420 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2245 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 125 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 259 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2215 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45766 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N739YG |
| NTSB Number | LAX91LA383 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17270908 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NOVO HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4137 DONALD DOUGLAS DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | LONG BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90808 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NOVO HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4137 DONALD DOUGLAS DR. |
| Operator City | LONG BEACH |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 90808 |
| 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 | LGB |
| Departure City | LONG BEACH |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2059 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | L52 |
| Destination City | OCEANO |
| 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 | -- |