Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Corona Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Corona, California 92880
Friday, March 20, 2009 8:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Before departure, the pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan and received a flight release. One witness observed the airplane make a normal takeoff and then lost sight of it due to the low fog. Two other witnesses at the airport reported hearing the airplane maneuvering northwest of the airport, making what they believed were 360-degree turns. Neither of these witnesses observed the airplane due to the low visibility. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane entered a climbing right turn shortly after takeoff and then made several altitude and heading changes before radar contact was lost. The accident occurred before the pilot established radio contact with air traffic control. The weather observation facility at the airport reported visibility of 3/4 mile and 400-foot overcast skies. The wreckage was located in a basin less than 1 mile northwest of the departure runway and in the vicinity of the last radar target. Impact signatures indicated that the airplane collided with the terrain in a nose down and left-wing-low attitude. Review of the pilot’s flight logbook indicated that he obtained an instrument rating about 2 years prior to the accident. He had accumulated 49 hours of instrument flight time of which 2 hours were in actual instrument meteorological conditions. No instrument proficiency check was recorded within the year before the accident, and no instrument flight time was recorded since about 1 month after the pilot obtained the instrument rating. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation shortly after takeoff and lost control of the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot did not maintain airplane control during climb due to spatial disorientation while flying in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent instrument flying experience.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/20/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 840 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Corona |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92880 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335413N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1173651W |
| Event Location Airport | Corona Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AJO |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 533 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 846 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 320 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AJO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 533 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29761 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA WP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2012 9:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55962 |
| NTSB Number | WPR09FA158 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7340147 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 26 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2224 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | R M ELECTRICAL & BUILDING CONTRACTORS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10681 COURT ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | STANTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90680-2460 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | William R Morgan |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Trabuco Canyon |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92679 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AJO |
| Departure City | Corona |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 840 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HII |
| Destination City | Lake Havasu |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 29 2012 2:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 3200 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |