Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Descanso, California 92106
Wednesday, February 23, 1983 21:00 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS ON A FLT FROM FARMINGTON, NM TO EL CAJON, CA, BUT MADE A STOP AT BORREGO SPRINGS, CA WHERE A PASSENGER DEPLANED. BEFORE DEPARTING FARMINGTON, HE OBTAINEND A WX BRIEFING FOR THE TRIP, BUT ONLY FILED A FLT PLAN FOR THE 1ST LEG WHEN TOLD OF BAD WX ALONG THE 2ND LEG. AT BORREGO SPRINGS, NO AVIATION FUEL WAS AVAILABLE. THE PLT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT SO HE OBTAINED 2-1/2 GAL OF SUPREME UNLEADED AUTO FUEL. ON THE NEXT LEG OF THE FLT, THE ACFT CRASHED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. A WITNESS SAID HE HEARD THE ENG SPUTTER THEN SAW THE ACFT COME OUT OF THE CLOUDS IN A 65 DEG ANGLE. HE ESTIMATED THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUDS WERE ABOUT 400 TO 500 FT AGL. ALSO, HE DESCRIBED THE WX AS RAINY, HEAVY AT TIMES, WITH LOW CEILINGS & SOME BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT, MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS TOO BADLY DAMAGED TO DETERMINETHE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT WAS IN THE TANKS PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 3900 FT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/23/1983
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2100
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City DESCANSO
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92106
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 2
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 345 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 247
Weather Observation Facility ID SAN
Elevation of weather observation facility 15
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 27
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3364
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27380
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3687C
NTSB Number LAX83FUM04
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 180J
Aircraft Series Identifier 180J
Aircraft Serial Number 31186
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
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 Oct 14 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FREDERIC H. HILLER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 9742 ABBEYFIELD RD
Aircraft Owner City SANTEE
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 92701
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 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 --
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 L08
Departure City BORREN SPRINGS
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SEE
Destination City EL CAJON
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 --