ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 292746
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| Date: | Sunday 25 December 2005 |
| Time: | 00:00 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-180 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3953R |
| MSN: | 28-5858 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5989 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Hopland, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Ukiah Airport, CA (UKI/KUKI) |
| Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport, CA (STS/KSTS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument-rated private pilot flew the airplane during a dark, night, cross-country flight, in marginal visual to instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain at the base of a hill. During the accident flight, a witness observed the airplane flying low in foggy conditions. The witness described the weather as very foggy, with the clouds extending low into the valley, just above the airplane. The witness added that the aircraft did not seem to have any problems. The pilot elected to depart on the cross-country flight despite the marginal weather conditions and limited visibility. Examination of the damage sustained by the airplane revealed that it impacted terrain in a controlled manner. Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have affected the controllability of the airplane.
Probable Cause: The non-instrument rated pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions and the low clouds.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX06LA068
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 08:42 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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