Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Newhall, California 91321
Wednesday, April 29, 1987 17:30 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT ABOUT 1440 PDT, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT DEPD ANTIOCH CA, ON A FLT TO BURBANK, CA. NO KNOWN IN-FLT COMMUNICATIONSWERE MADE UNTIL THE PLT CONTACTED TRACON AT 1725 PDT. AT THAT TIME, HE RPRTD INBOUND AT 7500' & REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLNC TO THE ARPT. HE WAS TOLD TO MAINT VFR & WAS ADZD THE WX AT BURBANK (ELEV 775') WAS 700' OVERCAST WITH 1 MI VIS, FOG & LGT DRIZZLE. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON A RIDGELINE APRX 9 MI NNW OF THE BURBANK ARPT. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A SHALLOW, WINGS LEVEL DESCENT AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2600'. NO PREIMPACT PART MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS EVIDENT. NO RECORD WAS FOUND OF A PRE-FLT WX BRIEFING. MTNS TOPS IN THE AREA WERE FORECAST TO BE OBSCURED; CLOUD TOPS WERE RPRTD AT 4500'. TRACES OF MEDICATION (METABOLITES OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE & BENZODIAZIPINE) WERE DETECTED ONLY IN THE PLT'S URINE; TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF HIS BLOOD WERE NEGATIVEFOR ALCOHOL & DRUGS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/29/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1730
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City NEWHALL
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91321
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1646 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 138
Weather Observation Facility ID BUR
Elevation of weather observation facility 775
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
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) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 900
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2431
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 30 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 412
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36631
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:16PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8444A
NTSB Number LAX87FA196
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-8290023
Certified Max Gross Weight 2550
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 25 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 195
Airframe Hours 1542
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name E. M. BRIGGS, MD.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2113 ROBLES DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City ANTIOCH
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94509
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 012
Departure City ANTIOCH
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1440
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code BUR
Destination City BURBANK
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 --