Nevada County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Grass Valley, California 95945
Sunday, November 20, 1983 9:31 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR A VOR-A APCH TO THE NEVADA COUNTY ARPT. THE APCH CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PLT THAT HE HAD FAILED TO ISSUE THE REQUIRED RADAR INFO FOR THE FINAL APCH FIX & INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO INITIATE A MISSED APCH. RADAR CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST WHEN IT WAS 1/2 MI EAST OF THE ARPT, AT 3500, ON A WESTERLY HEADING. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED 1/8 MI SOUTH OF THE ARPT AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2900 FT. AN EXAM REVEALED THE ACFT HAD CRASHED WHILE IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE ON WOODED TERRAIN. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME OR POWERPLANT WAS FOUND. WITNESSES WHO HEARD THE ACFT FLY OVER THE ARPT STATED THAT IT WAS SNOWING MODERATELY & THEY ESTIMATED THE SURFACE VISIBILITY WAS 1/2 MI.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/20/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 931
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City GRASS VALLEY
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95945
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport NEVADA COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 017
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 180
Airport Elevation 3150
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 947 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 235
Weather Observation Facility ID MRY
Elevation of weather observation facility 63
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 27
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
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) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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) 2908
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23226
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7434E
NTSB Number LAX84FA064
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210
Aircraft Series Identifier 210
Aircraft Serial Number 57134
Certified Max Gross Weight 2900
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 Aug 22 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 17
Airframe Hours 2660
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES J. SWIFT
Aircraft Owner Street Address 15834 SUNNYVALE LANE
Aircraft Owner City GRASS VALLEY
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95945
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 SAC
Departure City SACRAMENTO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
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 7
Runway Length 3920
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --