Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lytle Creek, California 92538
Sunday, June 3, 2001 19:36 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Witnesses from the skydiving business observed the pilot board the rented airplane and depart about 1915. The pilot obtained flight following for part of the flight. Recorded radar data showed that the airplane track proceeded along a northerly heading, and then turned toward the west. Approach control informed the pilot that they would be losing radar contact soon, and advised the pilot to proceed under visual flight rules. The pilot responded that he was 17 to 18 miles from his intended destination. No further transmissions were received from the pilot. The corrected mode C reported altitude remained steady at 2,500 feet mean sea level until the target initiated a climb to 2,900 feet about 1 1/2 minutes prior to a loss of radar contact. The last target occurred in the mouth of a box canyon. This target displayed a corrected mode C reported altitude of 2,900 feet at 1931:47. Data from a portable global positioning satellite system in the airplane indicated that the airplane continued up the canyon and began climbing. It turned to the south prior to impacting the terrain. The operator reported the airplane overdue 3 days later and an extensive search did not locate the airplane. The wreckage was discovered on September 21, 2008. The airplane wreckage came to rest at an estimated elevation of 5,600 feet on a steep slope near the top southern side of a box canyon. The canyon is generally oriented east/west. The orientation of the fuselage was about 180 degrees. Investigators examined the airframe and engine and discovered no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Sunset occurred around 1953 on the day of the accident. Weather reporting stations surrounding the accident site noted broken to overcast cloud conditions between 2,800 and 4,400 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate decision to fly into an area of rising terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1936 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lytle Creek |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92538 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341429N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1173223W |
| 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 | 1953 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ONT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 944 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| 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) | 24883 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 14 2009 1:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8253W |
| NTSB Number | LAX01FA308 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8190015 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Apr 12 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 14 |
| Airframe Hours | 4818 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air Desert Pacific |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1889 McKinnley Ave |
| Aircraft Owner City | La Verne |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91750 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Air Desert Pacific |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1889 McKinnley Ave |
| Operator City | La Verne |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91750 |
| 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 | L65 |
| Departure City | Perris |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1910 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | POM |
| Destination City | La Verne |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 6 2009 11:15AM |
| 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 | -- |