Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Los Gatos, California 95030
Monday, May 25, 1987 16:29 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG A PREFLT WX BRIEFING, THE PLT WAS ADZD THE FORECAST FOR OAKLAND (19 MI NNW OF HIS DESTN) WAS FOR A 3000' BROKEN CEILING WITH OCCASIONAL 3000' SCATTERED, 5000' BROKEN & A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. HE FILED A VFR FLT PLAN & DEPD. AT 1347 PDT, THE PLT OPENED HIS FLT PLAN & PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMMUNICATION UNTIL HE WAS ABOUT 45 MI SE OF HIS DESTN. AT 1615 PDT, HE CONTACTED BAY TRACON & ASKED FOR & RCVD TRAFFIC ADZYS. ABOUT 12 TO 14 MIN LATER, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 22 MI FROM THE DESTN WHEN IT IMPACTED JUST BELOW THE TOP OF A MTN PEAK AT AN ELEV OF APRX 3350'. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. PSNL IN THE VCNTY OF THE ACDNT SITE SAID THERE WAS FOG WITH A VISIBILITY OF 50' TO 100'. THE CLOUD BASES IN THAT AREA WERE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 800' BELOW THE ACDNT SITE. SVRL PEOPLE, WHO KNEW THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT, SAID HE OFTEN FLEW IN CLOUDS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/25/1987
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1629
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LOS GATOS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95030
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 5
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 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 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) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 225
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) --
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) 2270
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 25 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1720
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35908
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:23PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N114CH
NTSB Number LAX87FA212
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ROCKWELL
Aircraft Model 114
Aircraft Series Identifier 114
Aircraft Serial Number 14164
Certified Max Gross Weight 3140
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 165
Airframe Hours 1496
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EDN CARAVAN TOURS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address C/O WYNKOOP 3835 PILGRIM HWY.
Aircraft Owner City FRANKFORT
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49635
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROBERT C. WYNKOOP
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2502 NAVARRA DR. #225
Operator City CARLSBAD
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 92009
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 CRQ
Departure City CARLSBAD
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1347
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PAO
Destination City PALO ALTO
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
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 --