Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Big Bear City, California 92313
Tuesady, April 8, 2008 21:23 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane collided with trees and terrain during a dark night time flight after encountering instrument meteorological weather conditions. The airplane's wreckage was located in mountainous terrain at 8,344 feet mean sea level (msl), 9 miles west of the destination airport. Recorded flight parameter data from the airplane's electronic primary flight display revealed a steady recorded altitude of 8,400 feet for about the last 3 minutes of the flight. Two airmen's meteorological information reports (AIRMETs), both issued about 90 minutes prior to the accident, advised of mountains occasionally obscured by clouds and precipitation, and the presence of turbulence and low-level windshear. Weather observations for the destination airport at 2050 and 2110, which was just prior to the airplane's departure, reported cloud ceilings at 8,400 feet and 7,600 feet msl, respectively. Scattered clouds were reported on the 2130 observation at 7,600 feet and 8,100 feet msl. Based on an analysis of satellite weather data and destination airport weather observations conducted by a Safety Board meteorologist, it is likely that the pilot encountered clouds and turbulence at his flight altitude shortly after 2121 and descended in order to maintain visual flight rules flight. According to the US Naval Observatory, the moon was below the horizon at the time of the accident. Post accident examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no preimpact anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain. Contributing to the accident were the mountainous terrain, the dark night condition, the turbulent wind condition, and the low clouds.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/8/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2123 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Big Bear City |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92313 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341526N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1170033W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2130 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 265 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | L35 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6752 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.79 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 25066 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 9 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2009 10:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Riverside, California |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N868PC |
| NTSB Number | SEA08FA108 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cirrus Design Corp. |
| Aircraft Model | SR22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0614 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 8 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 1885.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Carson Capital Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Murrita |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92562 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Dean W Carson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | La Mirada |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 90638 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RIR |
| Departure City | Riverside |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2115 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | L35 |
| Destination City | Big Bear City |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2009 10:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |