ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36802
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| Date: | Saturday 21 February 1998 |
| Time: | 17:40 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | Steven J. Thomas |
| Registration: | N67623 |
| MSN: | TC-876 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8443 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-470-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sutter, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chico, CA (KCIC) |
| Taft, CA (L17) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The instrument rated pilot departed Chico and flew in a southerly direction toward the destination. The flight path was reconstructed using recorded radar data and ground witness observations. The pilot maintained a cruise altitude between 700 and 900 feet msl and initially was cruising below the clouds. The ceiling lowered, and the pilot reversed course. The pilot entered the base of the clouds, lost visual reference to the ground, and cruised into the upsloping mountainous terrain of Sutter Buttes, impacting about 780 feet msl. Prior to the flight the pilot, who had been visiting his daughter, indicated to her that if the weather became inclement he would reverse course and return to Chico. At 1101, the pilot received a weather briefing, which indicated that instrument meteorological weather conditions (IMC) including icing, existed along the planned route of flight home, and the pilot delayed his departure. The pilot received additional briefings at 1315 and 1518, and both indicated IMC continued to exist. The pilot's logbook indicated he last flew under IMC 9 months previously, and he had not maintained instrument flying currency. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction was found during the examination of the airplane.
Probable Cause: The pilot's in-flight decision(s) to attempt VFR flight in instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude which did not provide for adequate terrain clearance requirements. A factor that contributed to the accident was the pilot's decision to disregard the preflight weather briefing he obtained, which advised against visual flight along his intended route.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX98FA091
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Jun-2023 04:04 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]] |
| 07-Apr-2024 14:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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