Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yucca, Arizona 86438
Saturday, December 24, 1988 23:20 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED RECENTLY CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED BULLHEAD ON CHRISTMAS EVE FOR A NIGHTTIME FLIGHT TO PHOENIX SO HIS PASSENGER COULD CONNECT WITH AN 0800 AIRLINE FLIGHT HOME. THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND NAVIGATED TO THE SE FOR 23 NM. AWAY FROM ALL CITY LIGHTS AND OVER DESERT TERRAIN HE BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT DESCENDED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED & COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE IN AT LEAST A 60 DEGREE BANK. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE CRASH. PERSONS LOCATED 6 MI E OF THE CRASH SITE REPORTED IT WAS FOGGY, THE VISIBILITY WAS 2 MI AND THERE WAS LIGHT RAIN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT DECISION WHICH WAS RELATED TO HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, SPATIAL DISORIENTATION UPON ENCOUNTERING INCLEMENT WEATHER DURING THE NIGHTTIME FLIGHT, AND HIS TOTAL LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/24/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2320 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | YUCCA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86438 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 135 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 14 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 2380 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 31 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1805 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39094 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9276M |
| NTSB Number | LAX89FA074 |
| 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-28-161 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-161 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8616037 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2440 |
| 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 | Jul 18 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BERNARD J. MALY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 334, ROUTE 1 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SUN PRAIRIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53590 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DEER VALLEY AVIATION, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 14700 N. AIRPORT DR. |
| Operator City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85260 |
| 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 | P06 |
| Departure City | BULLHEAD |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2245 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SDL |
| Destination City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Destination State | AZ |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |