ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221694
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 8 February 2019 |
| Time: | 20:10 |
| Type: |  Mooney M20F Executive 21 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3270F |
| MSN: | 670363 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO360 SER |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Mount Diablo, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hayward Executive, CA (KHWD) |
| Lincoln Regional Karl Harder Field, CA (KLHM) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On February 8, 2019, about 2010 Pacific standard time, a Mooney M20F airplane, N3270F, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain near Mount Diablo, California. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the takeoff location and no flight plan had been filed. The solo cross-country flight originated from the Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) Hayward, California, about 2002, with a planned destination of Lincoln Regional Airport (LHM), Lincoln, California.
The student pilot departed on a solo cross-country night flight for which he had not received an instructor endorsement. Radar data indicated that, after departure, the pilot established the airplane on a heading toward the destination airport at an altitude about 2,800 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane continued on course about that altitude until radar contact was lost in the vicinity of the accident site.
The wreckage was subsequently located about 1,000 ft below the summit of a 3,849-ft-tall mountain about 16 miles from the departure airport. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Signatures at the accident site and the damage to the airplane indicated a wings-level impact, consistent with controlled flight into terrain.
State park employees near the accident site reported that the weather was foggy and windy with rain at the time of the accident. Review of weather information indicated visual flight rules to marginal visual flight rules conditions prevailed throughout the area, with multiple layers of clouds reported; an atmospheric sounding indicated potential for clouds from about 2,900 ft through 13,000 ft msl. An AIRMET for mountain obscuration conditions was current for the area of the accident site at the time of the accident, and it is likely that the obstruction lighting located on and near the mountain summit was obstructed by clouds. There was no evidence that the pilot obtained preflight weather information from an official, access-controlled source. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while operating in reduced visibility night conditions.
Probable Cause: The student pilot’s decision to depart on a visual flight rules flight into reduced visibility night conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/mt-diablo-small-plane-crashed-overnight-crews-responding
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/02/09/plane-crashes-near-mount-diablo-condition-of-pilot-unclear/
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay-family-in-mourning-after-plane-crash-near-mt-diablo/1893/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3270F
http://www.skywagons.com/airplanes-forsale/1967-mooney-m20f-sold-n3270f
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
#MtDiablo - Authorities are investigating a fatal plane crash on Mount Diablo - a body was located amidst the wreckage of the single-engine aircraft Saturday afternoon pic.twitter.com/poxUOOPsSd
— Danville/SR Updates (@DanvilleSR_News) 10 février 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Feb-2019 02:29 | Geno | Added |
| 10-Feb-2019 03:31 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 10-Feb-2019 04:32 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 10-Feb-2019 09:39 | Pilotone | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn] |
| 10-Feb-2019 09:39 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Feb-2019 21:41 | Captain Adam | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 11-Feb-2019 21:48 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Nov-2020 09:34 | rvargast17 | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 15-Apr-2022 08:59 | aaronwk | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Apr-2022 09:01 | harro | Updated [Accident report] |
| 07-May-2023 21:29 | Captain Adam | Updated [[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