19881231057079A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Wrightwood, CA · December 31, 1988

Date: December 31, 1988 · 13:00 local
Place: Wrightwood, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5369L
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX89FA076
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 700 total

N5369LRegistration cancelled Apr 20, 1989 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 284675 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180

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.

Climbed into clouds on VFR takeoff became disoriented flew into side of a mountain VFR not advised. Icing and snow.

As the FAA filed it

CLIMBED INTO CLOUDS ON VFR TAKEOFF BECAME DISORIENTED FLEW INTO SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN VFR NOT ADVISED. ICING AND SNOW.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB LAX89FA076Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportWrightwood, CAAccording to the passenger, during a cross country flight the airplane encountered instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot flew the airplane toward a mountain range and entered a valley with rising terrain. Still in IMC, just prior to the accident,…Dec 31, 1988 · Substantial damage