Accident Piper PA-28-161 N39778,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36570
 
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Date:Thursday 3 January 1991
Time:13:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28A model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-161
Owner/operator:Cal State Flying Club
Registration: N39778
MSN: 28-7916009
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Glendale, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Pacoima, CA (WHP)
Destination airport:Long Beach, CA (LGB)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT RCVD TRAFFIC ADVISORIES FROM BURBANK APCH CONTROL TO PROCEED EASTBOUND THRU THE AREA OF BURBANK ARSA TO INTERCEPT V459. AT 1258:56 PST, RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED & THE PLT WAS GIVEN A VFR TRANSPONDER CODE & TOLD TO MAINTAIN VFR flight. ABOUT 45 SEC LATER, AN ELT SIGNAL WAS HEARD FOR A BRIEF TIME. TWO DAYS LATER, WRECKAGE OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 5 MI EAST OF THE BURBANK ARPT. ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 1900'. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT WHEN RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED, THE ACFT WAS FLYING EASTBOUND AT ABOUT 1900' MSL. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT TURNED LEFT TOWARD HIGH TERRAIN & COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE CABLE, THEN CRASHED & BURNED. IMPACT OCCURRED AS THE ACFT WAS ON A NORTHERLY HEADING & IN A LEFT TURN. AT 1246 PST, THE BURBANK WX WAS IN PART: 1000' SCT, ESTD 3000' BKN, 5000' OVC, VIS 4 MI WITH RAIN, WIND CALM. ABOUT 1/2 HR LATER, THE WX AT BURBANK WAS: 600' SCT, 1500' OVC, VIS 4 MI WITH RAIN, WND CALM. CAUSE: THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISION TO TURN TO THE LEFT, WHICH RESULTED IN FLIGHT TOWARD HIGHER TERRAIN. THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X16322

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]

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