Date:	Sunday 11 July 2004
Time:	14:15
Type:	Piper PA-28-161
Owner/operator:	Ocean Air Flight Services, Inc.
Registration:	N6106H
MSN:	28-7816222
Year of manufacture:	1977
Total airframe hrs:	9094 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-320-D2A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Bridgeport, California -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Bridgeport, CA (O57)
Destination airport:	Columbia, CA (O22)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The airplane collided with mountainous terrain while attempting to traverse the mountains at a density altitude approaching the climb capability limit of the airplane. The pilot reported that after departure he conducted circling climbs over the traffic pattern to gain altitude before heading west toward rising terrain to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. He stated that he did not remember exactly what altitude he climbed to, but estimated that it was around 9,000 to 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot flew the airplane between two mountain peaks, which were separated by a 1-mile trough. As the airplane was flying between the peaks, it encountered a downdraft that sent the airplane in a nose down pitch attitude. The pilot attempted to recover, but found the engine could not produce enough power to attain a positive climb rate. The pilot leveled off the airplane and attempted to turn it to the left, but heard the stall warning horn sound. The pilot then tried to turn the airplane to the right, but the stall warning horn sounded again. The pilot pulled the nose up before the airplane impacted the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who performed a post-accident examination of the airplane, reported that there was nothing wrong with the airplane that would have prevented its normal operation. The approximate density altitude at the accident site was calculated to be 12,300 feet, which according to the airplane information manual, would only allow a 60-foot-per-minute climb rate.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to attain an adequate altitude to clear mountainous terrain during a high density altitude condition.

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040720X01011&key=1
First off, the damage was minimal as the plane came to stop within 10-15 ft of ground roll, and since it came to stop in very soft soil, front wheel did not collapse but made a 10 inch hole in the ground, and looked like collapsed. Then the left gear did same and right remained aboive ground. Firewall could not have been damaged since there was no flip over.
Then the NTSB report suggested the pilot was too low, since the plane came down between peaks. The departure from Bridgeport after gaining altitude took about 30-40 minutes, the peaks are at about 9k ft
If the performance at the density was 60 ft/min climb, that would give an average of 2,400 ft above the field, which is at 6,472. Density altitude calculations are nevef accurate, and one would have to be at the mountain at the time of accident to calculate it, so it shoul ebe stated that it was an estimate.
Further, coming to the crossing was just fine, except for the downdraft that took the plabe "down" as downdrafts do to even 737's as these are powerful events and hugely unpredictable.
The propeller issue: bending inwards does not make any indication of anything including pilot error. Propellers windmill even if the engine fails, and windmill powered, at different rates and always bend backward, not forward, and frankly the bend was minimal because of the soil softness.
Overall, just before touchdown pilot made sure there would be no fire on board, turned the power off and electronics. Comments about pilot escaping the crossing twice are only true in sense that coming at the 35 - 50 degree angle to the ridge, made a plane cought in the draft regardless of the turn away procedure, adding that lowering nose to return did not make any difference.
The aircraft at the end was taken off the mountain by a lifting helicopter, all intact, and then taken to Reno for inspection. It was taken all apart since obvious suspicions of drug smuggling as NTSB always does, but when put back together it was sold on auction for $9,000, unfortunately too late for the PIC to be aware of that. Investigation was Nazi styled, and conducted by San Jose crew, only changed to a delegated representative from ...Hawaii, after PIC threatened to litigate. The case could be labeled as "if PIC survives, he is the cause of the accident"
Final words from eperienced Sierra pilots: " never fly the mountains at 2pm" even with 160 HP.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Oct-2015 15:25	Noro	Added
21-Dec-2016 19:30	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
07-Dec-2017 18:14	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2024 10:24	TomC	Updated [Source, Damage]