ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35625
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| Date: | Saturday 24 December 1994 |
| Time: | 13:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R-180 |
| Owner/operator: | Charles V. Pacini |
| Registration: | N3836T |
| MSN: | 28R-30154 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-B1E |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Searchlight, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Boulder City, NV (61B) |
| La Verne, CA (KPOC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. WITNESSES 1 MILE AWAY SAID THE WEATHER AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF RAIN SHOWERS AND VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO IN CLOUDS. THE PILOT OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING IN WHICH VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, RAIN SHOWERS, RESTRICTED VISIBILITIES, AND ICING ALONG HIS PROJECTED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AFTER THE BRIEFING, THE PILOT PHONED AN ASSOCIATE IN LOS ANGELES AND SAID HE WOULD TRY TO FLY SOUTH ALONG HIGHWAY 95 TO CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND THAT HE HAD TO STAY BELOW 5,000 MSL DUE TO THE FREEZING LEVEL. HIGHWAY 95 RUNS SOUTH FROM BOULDER CITY THROUGH THE ELDORADO MOUNTAINS. SEARCHLIGHT IS LOCATED IN A MOUNTAIN PASS AT THE HIGHEST POINT ALONG THE HIGHWAY. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS LOCATED ABOUT 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF SEARCHLIGHT AND 1/2 MILE EAST OF HIGHWAY 95. AT AN ELEVATION OF 4,200 FEET MSL, THE SITE IS 138 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. ON-SITE EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ROCK OUTCROPPING IN NEAR-LEVEL FLIGHT.
Probable Cause: the pilot's intentional continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX95LA060
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 17:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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