ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38879
Last updated: 22 June 2020
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| Date: | 05-JUL-1998 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: |  Morane-Saulnier MS.880B |
| Owner/operator: | Walter Last |
| Registration: | N55BF |
| C/n / msn: | 1612 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Trinity Center , CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Trinity Center, CA (O86) |
| Montague, CA (105) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
The aircraft impacted trees and terrain in a mountainous area about 30 minutes after takeoff. The wreckage was located in a rocky stream bed about 35 feet wide which was surrounded by trees. The trees were approximately 50 feet high and came right up to the edge of the creek. There were tree limbs broken off a tree near the top just above and about 10 feet southeast of the impact site. There were no signs of disturbance on any of the other trees around the creek.
The creek parallels a road which proceeds to a mountain pass about 2 miles to the north of the site. The debris was contained to an area within a few feet of the aircraft. The flaps were found set in the full-down position at 30 degrees. The fuel tanks were ruptured, but there was evidence of fuel found in the carburetor. The engine could not be turned due to extensive damage; however, no mechanical anomalies were found during disassembly. No discrepancies were found in any airframe system. The density altitude was calculated to be about 7,100 feet.
CAUSE: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin while maneuvering in a mountainous area at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Sources:
1. NTSB LAX98LA223 https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X10625
2. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rallye.pdf
3. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/ca/N55BF/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 29-Jan-2016 21:53 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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