Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Union City, California 94587
Wednesday, October 19, 1988 6:14 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER RECEIVING A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING THAT REPORTED THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE AS 55 DEGREES, DEW POINT AS 54 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND A CALM WIND CONDITION, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER TOOKOFF FOR A LOCAL NIGHT FLIGHT NEAR THE BAY. THE SUN RISE AND MOON SET TABLES DEPICT THE SUN AT A -7.1 DEGREE ALTITUDE AND THE MOON AT A -74.5 DEGREE ALTITUDE BELOW THE HORIZON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT PASS OVER A WELL LIT STRUCTURE THEN EXECUTE A DIVING RIGHT TURN INTO THE GROUND. FOG WAS REPORTED IN THE VICINITY BY THE WITNESSES. IMPACT FORCES AND POST-CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE, DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITIONS AND FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS, INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, FAILURE TO PERFORM A WEATHER EVAULATION AFTER RECEIVING PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/19/1988
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 614
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City UNION CITY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 94587
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 10
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 5
Degrees magnetic from airport 176
Airport Elevation 47
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 545 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID OAK
Elevation of weather observation facility 46
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 20
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2409
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 19 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39205
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N52222
NTSB Number LAX89FA018
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172P
Aircraft Series Identifier 172P
Aircraft Serial Number 17274446
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 2 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 101
Airframe Hours 5004
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AVIATION TRAINING INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 21593 SKYWEST DR
Aircraft Owner City HAYWARD
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94541
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 HWD
Departure City HAYWARD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 600
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --