Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Oceanside Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oceanside, California 92054
Sunday, October 28, 1990 22:36 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT HAD LANDED AT OCEANSIDE EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE PILOT HAD REMARKED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S COMM RADIO WAS INOPERATIVE AND THAT HE WAS USING A PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. AFTER LEAVING THE AIRPORT FOR DINNER, THE PILOT ALSO REMARKED THAT HE HAD LEFT THE TRANSCEIVER 'ON' AND THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RADIO'S BATTERY CHARGE. AT 2130 THE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY WAS DRIVEN BACK TO THE AIRPORT FOR DEPARTURE. THE PILOT CONTACTED FSS BY TELEPHONE FOR A WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT DID NOT CONTACT ATC AFTER TAKEOFF. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A CANYON 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. ON-SCENE EVIDENCE DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY STRUCK A RIDGE WHILE IN A RIGHT WING LOW, NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF 080 DEGREES. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH A COURSE REVERSAL IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT INITIATING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT WITHOUT OPERATING AIR/GROUND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE AFTER APPARENTLY DECIDING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE INOPERATIVE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT RESULTING IN THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH ATC, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE DARK NIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/28/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2236 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | OCEANSIDE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92054 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | OCEANSIDE MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L32 |
| 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 | 28 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 2239 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NFG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2300 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 1 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1955 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45524 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5052Z |
| NTSB Number | LAX91FA022 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-22-108 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-22-108 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 228676 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | VANDERHEIDE, RICHARD J. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5280 COLODNY DR.,APT 5 |
| Operator City | AGOURA HILLS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91301 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CMA |
| Destination City | CAMARILLO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 3061 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |