ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39815
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 18 June 1999 |
| Time: | 09:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R-200 |
| Owner/operator: | Alan Memley |
| Registration: | N2706R |
| MSN: | 28R-35256 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5523 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-C1C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bass Lake, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fresno, CA (KFCH) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane collided with 100-foot-tall trees as it headed up a canyon. The pilot flew about 1,000 feet over Bass Lake (elevation 3,500 feet) and then headed towards the local mountains. A campground host at the Chilkoot Campgrounds (elevation 4,700 feet) was sitting next to his trailer several miles north of Bass Lake. This trailer was oriented 350 degrees and the airplane flew by parallel to his trailer. The trees in this area were over 100 feet tall, and the airplane was approximately 100 feet over the trees and 100 feet west of the trailer. The host heard the airplane for 3 or 4 seconds before it arrived at his position, and the engine was running smoothly. Then he heard the sound increase as it passed by and thought power was being added. He lost sight of the airplane due to the trees and several seconds later heard two separate sounds of what he described as metal crunching. The density altitude was approximately 6,500 feet. From Chilcoot Campground, the terrain to the east rose about 1,000 feet within 1/2 mile; to the west about 500 feet within 1 nm; and to the north about 800 feet within 1 nm. The pilot accumulated a total time of 345 hours with 1.5 hours in this make and model, including a 1-hour checkout by an instructor pilot 2 months prior to the accident.
Probable Cause: Inadequate in-flight planning and decision making resulted in a failure to maintain clearance from terrain. A factor in the accident was the pilot's low total time and lack of experience in this make and model of airplane.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX99FA214
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 14-Dec-2017 08:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Apr-2024 05:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation