Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gorman, California 93243
Friday, November 25, 1988 15:20 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER RECEIVING A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING THAT REPORTED STANDING LENTICULAR CLOUDS AND GUSTY SURFACE WINDS ALONG THE PROPOSED FLIGHT ROUTE, THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOKOFF ON A PERSONAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS DESCENT FOR LANDING THE CREW REPORTED THEY HAD ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOST, THE AIRCRAFT'S RADAR TARGET DISAPPEARED AND AN ELT RADIO SIGNALS WERE DETECTED. GROUND SEARCH PARTIES INITIATED A SEARCH AND THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED TEN HOURS LATER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. THE EXISTENCE OF A MOUNTAIN WAVE ALONG THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT ROUTE, THE FAILURE OF THE CREW TO EVALUATE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE FLIGHT ROUTE, THE CREWS ATTEMPT TO FLY INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE OVER CONFIDENCE OF THE CREW IN THE AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/25/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1520
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City GORMAN
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93243
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 11
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1450 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 315
Weather Observation Facility ID BFL
Elevation of weather observation facility 507
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 36
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 330
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 507
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) 2435
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 25 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1630
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39441
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:18PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5545N
NTSB Number LAX89FA058
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182R
Aircraft Series Identifier 182R
Aircraft Serial Number 18267783
Certified Max Gross Weight 3100
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 20 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 118
Airframe Hours 1230
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JEAN R. PAQUETTE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1500 E. KATELLA AVE. SUITE E
Aircraft Owner City ORANGE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92667
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code CNO
Departure City CHINO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1406
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BFL
Destination City BAKERSFIELD
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
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 --