| Date: | Thursday 12 January 1995 |
| Time: | 17:47 |
| Type: |  Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster |
| Owner/operator: | West Air, opf Federal Express |
| Registration: | N754FE |
| MSN: | 208B0249 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2073 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pleasanton, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Visalia Airport, CA (VIS/KVIS) |
| Oakland International Airport, CA (OAK/KOAK) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported to ATC he had the airport in sight from 7,000 feet msl more than 30 miles (48 km) away. A weather reporting station located 5 miles (8 km) east of the accident site was reporting two cloud layers; a scattered layer at 1,500 feet agl, and a broken layer at 5,000 feet agl. The airplane was descending after the pilot was cleared for a visual approach. The airplane collided with a tree and the ground in a wings level attitude at an elevation of 1,500 feet msl.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain visual contact with terrain and sufficient altitude for terrain clearance. Factors in the accident were the pilot's decision to initiate a descent 14 miles from the airport, and weather, specifically cloud conditions and darkness."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB id LAX95FA077
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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