Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Weed, California 96094
Wednesday, March 4, 1987 15:56 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT WAS ADZD THAT STRONG HEAD WINDS, MOD TO SVR TURBC, MTN OBSCUREMENT, MULTIPLE LAYERS OF ICING & DETERIORATING WX WERE FORECAST ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLT. HE FILED AN IFR CLNC & TOOK OFF AT 1115 PST. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE REQD THE MEDFORD WX & WAS ADZD OF STANDING LENTICULAR CLOUDS. AT 1328 PST, HE CANCELED HIS IFR CLNC. LATER, AT 1535, HE OBTAINED ANOTHER IFR CLNC & WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 11,000'. AT 1546 PST, THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS ENCTRG DOWNDRAFTS; 8 MIN LATER, HE SAID HIS ALT WAS 9300'. SHORTLY, THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CTC WERE LOST AFTER THE ACFT DSCNDD THRU 8900'. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON THE LEE SIDE OF A 9025' MTN AT APRX THE 6200' LVL. IT WAS FOUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH ITS BELLY AGAINST AN IMPACT DAMAGED TREE. THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS BENT & TWISTED ABOUT 90 DEG, BUT THE EMPENNAGE WAS ESSENTIALLY UNDAMAGED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. APRX 7 MI NORTH AT WEED ARPT (ELEV 2938'), THE WIND GUSTS WERE ESTD AT 70 TO 75 MPH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/4/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1556
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City WEED
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96094
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 3
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1550 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 325
Weather Observation Facility ID MFR
Elevation of weather observation facility 1331
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 64
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 65
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2468
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 6 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2040
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36765
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:58PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N201LF
NTSB Number LAX87FA134
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 MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20J
Aircraft Series Identifier M20J
Aircraft Serial Number 24-0456
Certified Max Gross Weight 2740
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 Jul 15 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 118
Airframe Hours 1474
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PIZZA & PIPES STEATTLE, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 18041 BOTHELLWAY NE
Aircraft Owner City BOTHELL
Aircraft Owner State WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98011
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PAE
Departure City EVERETT
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1155
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PAO
Destination City PALO ALTO
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 10:35AM
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 --