ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35936
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| Date: | Thursday 3 March 1994 |
| Time: | 23:46 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain |
| Owner/operator: | Ameriflight |
| Registration: | N78DE |
| MSN: | 31-7852087 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 9136 hours |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING TIO-540-J2BD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Gorman, 9 nm W of Frazier Park, Los Angeles County, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Burbank, California (BUR/KBUR) |
| Oakland, California (OAK/KOAK) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On March 3, 1994, at 2346 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-31-350, N78DE, operated by Ameriflight Inc., as flight 107, cruised into rising mountainous terrain approximately 9 nautical miles west of Frazier Park, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the dark nighttime flight. A company flight plan was filed for the on-demand air taxi flight. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The nonstop all cargo bank check flight to Oakland, California, had originated from the Burbank Municipal Airport, Burbank, California, at 23:27 PST.
A review of recorded communications between the accident airplane and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities, recorded radar data, and personnel statements, indicated that the accident pilot requested and received a special visual flight rules (SVFR) clearance for departure. An instrument flight plan had previously been filed, but not activated.
The pilot taxied to runway 08, and was instructed to turn left at the Hansen Dam (a visual check point). The pilot was cleared for takeoff and was directed to report reaching VFR flight conditions. A few minutes later, the pilot reported reaching VFR conditions.
The pilot was issued a discrete squawk code and, in accordance with air traffic instructions, he changed communication frequencies to Burbank Departure Control and then to Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center (LAX ARTCC).
While cruising on an approximate magnetic course of 300 degrees, at 2335:28, the pilot transmitted to LAX ARTCC "...checking in eight thousand five hundred." LAX ARTCC provided the pilot with the Burbank altimeter setting of 30.15 inHg, which was repeated by the pilot.
At 23:42:09 PST, LAX ARTCC provided the pilot with the Bakersfield altimeter of 30.16 in Hg. The last transmission from the pilot commenced 4 seconds later, at 23:42:13 PST, when the pilot repeated the altimeter setting with the following transmission: "three zero one six one oh seven."
At 23:46:19 PST, the airplane's last recorded position was at approximately 34 degrees, 48 minutes, 34 seconds north latitude, by 119 degrees, 07 minutes, 48 seconds west longitude. Its altitude was recorded at 8,400 feet amsl (above mean sea level).
The next transmission on frequency occurred at 23:47:51 PST. At this time, LAX ARTCC transmitted: "amflight one oh seven I've lost your transponder reset squawk one zero five five."
From a review of radar data, during the last 36 seconds of the airplane's recorded flight (between 23:45:43 and 23:46:19 PST) the airplane tracked along a west-northwesterly course of about 300 degrees at (transponder) altitudes between 8,400 and 8,500 feet amsl. The airplane's average ground speed during this period was approximately 160 knots
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: LAX94FA149 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20001206X00915&ntsbno=LAX94FA149&akey=1
2. http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=78DE
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1994/archives/crash-of-a-piper-pa-31-navajo-chieftain-in-gorman-1-killed/]
4. http://www.av.qnet.com/~carcomm/c.htm
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 4 March 1994 | N78DE | Ameriflight, Inc. | Frazier Park, CA | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 30-Apr-2015 01:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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