Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lee Vining Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yosemite Nation, California 95389
Saturday, July 26, 1986 17:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER FLYING LOW OVER YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK THE PIPER PA-32-260, OPERATING AS AN ON-DEMAND PASSENGER FLIGHT, CLIMBED EASTWARD INTO RISING TERRAIN. THE FLIGHT PATH SELECTED BY THE PILOT WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE NORTH AND 1000 FEET HIGHER THAN TIOGA PASS (ELEVATION 9941) FEET). THE DENSITY ALTITUDE CALCUALTED FOR THE ACCIDENT WAS 12,500 AND THE AIRCRAFT'S PUBLISHED SERVICE CEILING IS 12,800 FEET AT MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. THE EMPENNAGE STRUCK A BOULDER AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED UP A FIVE DEGREE UPSLOPING RIDGE THEN NOSED INTO THE GROUND. A POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE CABIN AND ENGINE NACELLES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/1986 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | YOSEMITE NATION |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95389 |
| Event Date Year | 1986 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LEE VINING |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | Q24 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 9 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 244 |
| Airport Elevation | 5802 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1758 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 269 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SCK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 95 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 12500 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2681 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 26 1986 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2145 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 34216 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 4:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3643W |
| NTSB Number | LAX86FA303 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-546 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BUDD WILLIAMS LAND INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6999 MELVINA AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALERMO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95968 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PARADISE FLYING SERVICE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4405 AIRPORT RD. |
| Operator City | PARADISE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95969 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | Q03 |
| Departure City | SAN ANDREAS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LO6 |
| Destination City | DEATH VALLEY |
| 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 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |