Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pine Valley, California 92062
Sunday, December 8, 1991 11:00 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF HIS DAYTIME CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT HE PLANNED TO FLY BENEATH THE BASE OF THE TERMINAL CONTROL AREA (TCA). AFTER CLEARING THE TCA'S LATERAL BOUNDARY, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE AND INITIATED A CLIMB FROM HIS 4700 FOOT CRUISE ALTITUDE TO 7500 FEET MSL. UPON REACHING 5300 FEET MSL, A STRONG DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE AIRPLANE LOST ALTITUDE AND COLLIDED WITH A 4800 FOOT MSL HILL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MONITOR THE PROPER ALTITUDE OVER OBSERABLE RISING TERRAIN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S ENCOUNTER WITH A STRONG DOWNDRAFT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/8/1991
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1100
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City PINE VALLEY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92062
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 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 1000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
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 1
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2014
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 46262
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:53AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N36506
NTSB Number LAX92LA057
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 PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-34-200T
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-34-200T
Aircraft Serial Number 34-7870339
Certified Max Gross Weight 4570
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 8 1991 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 742
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name QUALITY HONEYCOMB, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 500 FRONT STREET
Aircraft Owner City EL CAJON
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92020
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name NEIL S. BROWN
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2314 TAMBOURINE LANE
Operator City EL CAJON
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92019
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 SEE
Departure City SAN DIEGO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1025
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FFZ
Destination City MESA
Destination State AZ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
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 --