Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Temple Bar, Arizona 86443
Tuesady, December 10, 1991 16:42 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE COMMUTER FLIGHT WAS ENROUTE TO ITS HOME AIRPORT AND OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS AND RAIN SHOWERS. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR IFR COMMUTER FLIGHTS. INSTEAD OF GOING TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A VISUAL CLEARANCE INTO THE TCA AND ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HIS ALTITUDE WAS 5100 FEET MSL. HIS RADIO TRANSMISSION BECAME GARBLED DURING THE CLEARANCE READ BACK AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE'S RADAR TARGET TURN LEFT FROM ITS WESTERLY TRACK AND DISAPPEAR FROM HIS SCOPE. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PILOT AND THE CONTROLLER. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING THE AIRCRAFT'S WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IMPACTED IN A MOUNTAIN APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF COURSE AT AN ELEVATION OF 4100 FEET MSL. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY AND SUCCESSFULLY FLOWN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE IN IFR CONDITIONS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION BY NOT ELECTING TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT AND TO CONTINUE TO THE FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ACROSS THE FLIGHT ROUTE AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/10/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1642 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | TEMPLE BAR |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86443 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 1650 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 259 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LAS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2174 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 35 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2078 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46446 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N350MR |
| NTSB Number | LAX92FA058 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 317652100 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7000 |
| 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 | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 7433 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FAIRCHILD FEDERAL CREDIT UNION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | W. 1520 3RD AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPOKANE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99220 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LAS VEGAS AIRLINES, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 15105 |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89111 |
| Operator Code | LVAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GCN |
| Departure City | GRAND CANYON |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1601 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VGT |
| Destination City | LAS VEGAS |
| Destination State | NV |
| 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 | -- |