Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Napa County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Napa, California 94558
Thursday, January 7, 1988 18:19 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT WAS RETURNING AFTER A 2 WEEK VACATION TRIP TO ARIZONA. AT AN ENROUTE STOP THE PLT ORDERED THE ACFT FUELED TO PARTIAL TANK CAPACITY ON 1 SIDE & FULL ON THE OTHER. HE ALSO GOT A WX BRIEFING WHICH ADVISED AGAINST VFR FLT DUE TO CLOUDS, FOG & RAIN. THE PLT HAD AN INST RATING BUT WAS NOT CURRENT. THE PLT CONT ON TO THE DEST & FOUND WORSE WX CONDS THAN FORECAST. HE ASKED OAKLAND CENTER FOR AN APPROACH & WAS GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS & TOLD TO EXPECT DELAYS DUE TO HEAVY IFR TRAFFIC. AT THAT TIME THE ACFT HAD ABOUT 1 HR & 30 MINS OF FUEL LEFT. THE PLT HELD FOR 47 MINS BEFORE AN APPROACH CLEARANCE WAS ISSUED. ON THE APPROACH THE PLT REPORTED THE VOR INBOUND BUT RADAR DATA SHOWED HE WAS OVER THE ARPT INSTEAD. THE PLT WAS 3 MILES PAST ARPT WHEN CONTROLLERS TOLD HIM HIS POSITION. PLT CLAIMED HE HAD A FIRE & HAD LOST HIS GYROS & ASKED FOR VECTORS TO ARPT. ACFT CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING IN IFR COND. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE OR GYRO FAILURE WAS FOUND.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
PILOT'S INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MANEUVERING IN IFR CONDITIONS AFTER BECOMING DISORIENTED WHILE EXECUTING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOTS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AND THE AIRCRAFT FUEL STATE WHICH WAS NEAR EXHAUSTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT IN THE FACE OF A WEATHER BRIEIFING WHICH ADVISED AGAINST VFR FLIGHT, AND HIS DECISION NOT TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE DESTINATION WITH BETTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AT A EARLIER STAGE IN THE FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/7/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1819 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | NAPA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94558 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NAPA COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | APC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 40 |
| Airport Elevation | 33 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1823 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | APC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 33 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2354 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 7 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1908 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39068 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2938X |
| NTSB Number | LAX88FA082 |
| 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-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7990575 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | Jun 2 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 76 |
| Airframe Hours | 1346 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PETERSEN, JOHN C. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2 WOODOAKS DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN RAFAEL |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94903 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | WJF |
| Departure City | LANCASTER |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1425 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APC |
| Destination City | NAPA |
| 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 | 18 |
| Runway Length | 5931 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |