# Accident 19941205040629A: Piper PA28R180, Groveland, CA, December 5, 1994

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 5, 1994, 18:53 local time
- Place: Groveland, CA
- Airport: Pine Mountain Lake Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.8491° N, 120.0106° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8491&lon=-120.0106&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4510J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4510J-2012-11-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-180 (registry code 7102809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R180
- Reported engine: LYC IO360B1E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 5,540 total, 2,343 in this make and model, 70 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX95FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95FA044) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941205040629A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

STRUCK TREES ON RIDGE DESCENDING NEAR AIRPORT. NO LIGHTS IN AREA. HAD KEYED RUNWAY LIGHTS. WEATHER AT DESTINATION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX95FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95FA044), Dec 6, 1994: Piper PA-28R-180 (N4510J), Groveland, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate terrain clearance during a nighttime descent into the airport over an unlighted mountainous area. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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