Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cobb, California 95483
Saturday, March 26, 1983 13:09 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT HAD LEFT HIS ACFT AT LAKEPORT, CA FOR MAINTENANCE TO BE PERFORMED & BARROWED MOONEY M20E, N2571W. BEFORE THE PLT TOOK OFF, THE OWNER HEARD HIM TALKING TO SOMEONE ABOUT THE WX, BUT NO RECORD OF A WX BRIEFING WAS FOUND. WHILE EN ROUTE TO PALO ALTO, CA, THE ACFT CRASHED ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF APRX 3600 FT MSL. THE IMPACT OCCURRED ON 30 DEG DOWN SLOPING TERRAIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE ACFT HAD CRASHED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. SEVERAL PEOPLE HEARD THE ACFT & REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL, EXCEPT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE PLT APPLIED FULL POWER JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. WITNESSES AGREED THAT THE UPPER SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAIN WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS & THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUD LAYER WAS BETWEEN 3500 & 3800 FT MSL. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT HAD LOGGED ONLY ABOUT 7 HRS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT TIME.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/26/1983
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1309
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City COBB
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95483
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 3
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 Unknown
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 Overcast
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) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 724
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 20985
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 N2571W
NTSB Number LAX83FA160
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 MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20E
Aircraft Series Identifier M20E
Aircraft Serial Number 932
Certified Max Gross Weight 2575
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 16 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PAUL E. LOEWEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 545
Aircraft Owner City LAKEPORT
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95453
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 102
Departure City LAKEPORT
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1245
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PAO
Destination City PALO ALTO
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
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 --