Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cedar Grove, California 93633
Saturday, July 30, 1988 11:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN KINGS CANYON, A LARGE RUGGED CANYON WHICH RIVALS THE GRAND CANYON IN SIZE AND DEPTH. THE EASTERN END OF THE CANYON NARROWS AND TERMINATES AT A 'Y' JUNCTION OF TWO CANYON BRANCHES. THE NORTHERN ONE LEADS TO KEARSARGE PASS, A CROSSING POINT IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MTNS. THE SOUTHERN BRANCH IS CENTER BASIN, A BOX CANYON RINGED BY MTN PEAKS WHICH RISE IN EXCESS OF 14,000 FT MSL (4,000 FT AGL). WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT ENTER CENTER BASIN AT 500 FT ABOVE THE TOPS OF THE TREES IN LEVEL OR SLIGHTLY CLIMBING FLT. OTHER WITNESSES NEAR THE SITE SAID THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE TREES. THE ACFT CONTACTED A PINE TREE NEAR THE TOP WITH THE LEFT WING. THE DENSITY ALT WAS 12,500 FT. THE ACFT WAS OVER GROSS WEIGHT AND HAD A CLIMB CAPABILITY OF 278 FT PER NM. THE TERRAIN RISES AT 490 FT PER NM. THE PLT HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND NO RECENT MTN FLYING EXPERIENCE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
PILOTS DECISION TO ATTEMPT A FLIGHT THROUGH A MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO ENSURE TERRAIN CLEARANCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/30/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1140 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | CEDAR GROVE |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93633 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | 2000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 12500 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2321 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 30 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1514 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40417 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N52504 |
| NTSB Number | LAX88FA272 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 177RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 177RG |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 177RG1202 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 57 |
| Airframe Hours | 1528 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JERRY FIDDLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6475 BENZENLLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | OAKLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94618 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ALAMEDA FLYING CLUB |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P. O. BOX 1043 |
| Operator City | ALAMEDA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 94501 |
| 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 | OAK |
| Departure City | OAKLAND |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LAS |
| Destination City | LAS VEGAS |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |