Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Upland, California 91786
Thursday, December 27, 1984 19:15 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE INSTRUMENT RATED PLT & 3 PAX DEPARTED PALO ALTO FOR AN INTENDED 3-HOUR LONG DAY VFR FLT TO SANTA ANA, CA. THE FINAL DESTINATION WAS TO BE MX. THE PLT HAD NOT FLOWN AT NIGHT OR ON INSTRUMENTS IN OVER 6 YRS. HE ELECTED TO DELAY DEPARTING PAO UNTIL 1611 PST DUE TO FORECAST MARGINAL WEATHER. THE PLT DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ATC OR FSS WHILE EN ROUTE & UPON ARRIVAL IN SOUTHERN CA, AT NIGHT, MARGINAL VFR WX WAS ENCOUNTERED. A LOCALIZED AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN EXISTED OVER UPLAND, APRX 28 MILES NORTH OF SNA. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO CIRCLE CABLE ARPT. WHEN SOUTH OF THE ARPT AND FLYING ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AT CRUISE SPEED, IT DESCENDED AND CRASHED INTO AN UNPOPULATES AND DARK AREA OF LEVEL TERRAIN.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/27/1984
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1915
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City UPLAND
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91786
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 12
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 1450
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1945 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 115
Weather Observation Facility ID ONT
Elevation of weather observation facility 952
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 2400
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 400
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 80
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 1400
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3250
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27414
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N735MJ
NTSB Number LAX85FA088
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 CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182Q
Aircraft Series Identifier 182Q
Aircraft Serial Number 18265529
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 5 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 74
Airframe Hours 3200
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT R. CLAYPOOL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1070 TERRA BELLA AV.
Aircraft Owner City MOUNTAIN VIEW
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 94043
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name WEST VALLEY FLYING CLUB
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1901 EMBARCADERO RD STE. 100
Operator City PALO ALTO
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 94303
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 PAO
Departure City PALO ALTO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1611
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SNA
Destination City SANTA ANA
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 10:36AM
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 --