Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Diego, California 92173
Wednesday, November 8, 1989 19:05 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A NIGHT SPECIAL VFR APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT WHEN HE WAS NOT NIGHT CURRENT. HE DID NOT HOLD AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE PILOT OBTAINED THREE WEATHER REPORTS FOR THE AIRPORT, WHILE EN ROUTE. THESE ESTABLISHED THAT CONDITIONS WERE IFR WITH VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 2 MILES IN FOG. THE PILOT ACCEPTED THE SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE AND REPORTED INBOUND TO THE AIRPORT FROM THE NORTH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REPORTED OVER A PRISON, WHICH WAS 4 MILES NORTH EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE PRISONERS SAID THE AIRCRAFT ORBITED ONE OF THE GUARD TOWERS TWO OR THREE TIMES, THEN DEPARTED TO THE NORTH WEST. THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY REPORTED BY THE ATCT WAS ONE MILE IN FOG; WITNESSES AT THE PRISON STATED THE GROUND VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN A MILE WITH AREAS OF HEAVY FOG. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A DESCENT MEASURED AT 11 DEGREES WITH A RIGHT WING DOWN ABOUT 20 DEGREES. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE IDENTIFIED DURING EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS IN THE ACIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/8/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1905 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | SAN DIEGO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92173 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| 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 | 524 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 175 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SDM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 524 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| 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) | 0 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2323 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 8 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1935 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42397 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2257T |
| NTSB Number | LAX90FA027 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | R182 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R182 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | R18200011 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBIE E. RATLIFF |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 33221 CHAMIZO CALLE |
| Operator City | AGUA DULCE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91350 |
| 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 | VNY |
| Departure City | VAN NUYS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1805 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SDM |
| 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 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0R |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |