Accident Beechcraft A55 Baron N9778Y,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35634
 
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Date:Sunday 19 September 1993
Time:21:15 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE55 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft A55 Baron
Owner/operator:Lawrence Pace
Registration: N9778Y
MSN: TC439
Engine model:CONTINENTAL IO-470-L
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Pine Mountain, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Oakland, CA (KOAK)
Destination airport:Bracket Field, CA (POC
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PILOT DEPARTED OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FOR A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT TO THE LOS ANGELES AREA. HE REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO LOS ANGELES ATC, HE WAS ASKED HIS NEXT POINT OF NAVIGATION. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS GOING DIRECT GORMAN, DIRECT BRACKETT FIELD. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT LA ATC, SECTOR 13. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THAT SECTOR, AND WAS TOLD BY THE PREVIOUS SECTOR TO REATTEMPT CONTACT IN 15 MILES. NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED BY THE PILOT. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES WEST OF THE GORMAN VOR; THE VOR TO WHICH THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO FLY 'DIRECT'. ACCORDING TO WEATHER INFORMATION AND SUN/MOON TABLES, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY DARK NIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE MOON ILLUMINATION. THE MAXIMUM ELEVATION FIGURE FOR THIS PARTICULAR QUADRANGLE ON THE VFR SECTIONAL IS 9,200 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,750 FEET MSL.

Probable Cause: THE PILOT IN COMMAND DID NOT MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE WITH THE TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE POOR IN FLIGHT PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING BY THE PILOT.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX93FA360
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX93FA360

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
07-Jun-2023 05:37 Ron Averes Updated [[Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]]
10-Apr-2024 11:05 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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