Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Julian, California 92036
Friday, May 18, 2001 10:32 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot attempted to fly a military flying club airplane up a valley at a low altitude. The airplane was unable to outclimb the rising terrain, and it impacted the rocky hillside at an elevation of 3,400 feet mean sea level (msl). About 8 minutes after initiating the cross-country flight, and while en route to the planned destination airport, the pilot flew over a residence less than 400 feet above the ground, as evidence by the airplane's Mode C transponder. A witness, who was at the residence and who recognized the airplane, estimated its altitude as 500 feet above ground level. Thereafter, the pilot continued flying at a low altitude above ground level. The airplane's radar track disappeared as the pilot headed toward higher elevation terrain. The lowest altitude at which targets are observed on radar 1 mile south of the accident site area is between 3,600 and 3,700 feet msl. The accident airplane's track as it approached the accident site was not detected. The terrain leading to the accident site varies from 490 to 3,400 feet msl. The pilot was familiar with the accident site terrain, having flown over the terrain in military helicopters. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was found during the wreckage examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's selection of an insufficient altitude over rising mountainous terrain and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1032 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Julian |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92036 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 325944N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163933W |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 268 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RNM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1393 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14940 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 18 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1249 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO San Diego, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8NV |
| NTSB Number | LAX01FA178 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | D45 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | BG-358 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2985 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 19 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 9360 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Groton Navy Navy Flying Club |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 152 Naval Submarine Base |
| Aircraft Owner City | Groton |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06349 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | North Island Navy Flying Club |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | NASNI Box 357012 |
| Operator City | San Diego |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92135 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NZY |
| Departure City | NAS NorthIsland |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1011 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | L54 |
| Destination City | Agua Caliente |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 17 2003 3:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |