19870317082669A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Columbia, CA · March 17, 1987

Date
March 17, 1987 · 22:40 local
Place
Columbia, CA
Airport
Columbia
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N5393P
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX87FA149
Reported as
Piper PA24250
Reported engine
Lycoming O540A1A5
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
4
Pilot’s flight hours
1,300 total95 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Missed VFR night approach due to low clouds. Pulled up into clouds to climb on top. Went into spiral and crashed.

As the FAA filed it

MISSED VFR NIGHT APPROACH DUE TO LOW CLOUDS. PULLED UP INTO CLOUDS TO CLIMB ON TOP. WENT INTO SPIRAL AND CRASHED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.