Accident Piper PA-24-180 N5673P,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38212
 
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Date:Saturday 18 September 1999
Time:13:00 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA24 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-24-180
Owner/operator:Joseph W. Burton
Registration: N5673P
MSN: 24-745
Engine model:Lycoming O-360-A1A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:June Lake, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Petaluma, CA (069)
Destination airport:Bryce Canyon, UT (BCE
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot departed on a multi state cross-country flight and was reported missing when the airplane failed to arrive at the destination. The pilot originally had filed an IFR flight plan the night before his proposed departure and also obtained a weather briefing. The weather information contained in the briefing was substantially correct. He was delayed due to fog from his estimated time of departure and never refiled or opened the flight plan. CAP search aircraft located the wreckage 1 week after the accident. The aircraft was found at the 11,760-foot level of a mountain and about 1,000 feet below the peak. The site is about 2 miles south of the route of flight filed in his flight plan. Ground witnesses said there were gusty winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms in the area the day of the crash, with clouds obscuring the mountaintop where the accident occurred. In his flight plan, the pilot had originally filed for 13,000 feet, and pilot reports during the morning and early afternoon indicated that the cloud bases were 10,000 to 12,000 feet over the mountains, with higher layers to 24,000 feet. Conditions were favorable for light to moderate clear and/or mixed icing in clouds and precipitation above 12,000 feet. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found during examination of the airframe and engine. A review of the pilot's logbook indicated that he had 223 hours of actual instrument time and 71 hours of simulated instrument time. About 4 months preceding the accident, he had logged 3 hours.

Probable Cause: The pilot's continued VFR flight into known instrument meteorological conditions, including icing, which resulted in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX99FA316
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 7 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX99FA316

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
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 09:26 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
07-Apr-2024 17:53 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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