19970319003309A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr Breezy FWS · Gilroy, CA · March 19, 1997

Date: March 19, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place: Gilroy, CA
Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N16KB
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA127
Reported as: Amtr Breezy FWS
Reported engine: Lycoming O290
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total400 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N16KBRegistration cancelled Jul 9, 1998 · Passadori Norman BREEZYS/N 95324 Airframe modelPassadori Norman BREEZY

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.

Flew low up a canyon. Unable clear terrain tried reverse course. Struck trees. (.19) on March 19, 1997, at 1530 hours pacific standard time, an experimental passadori norman breezy, N16KB, collided with trees while maneuvering at a low altitude near Gilroy, California. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured, and the aircraft was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight which departed from reid-hillview airport, san jose, California, exact time unknown.

As the FAA filed it

FLEW LOW UP A CANYON. UNABLE CLEAR TERRAIN TRIED REVERSE COURSE. STRUCK TREES. (.19) ON MARCH 19, 1997, AT 1530 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL PASSADORI NORMAN BREEZY, N16KB, COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE MANEUVERING AT A LOW ALTITUDE NEAR GILROY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED FROM REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN.

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 LAX97LA127Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportGilroy, CAThe pilot's delayed decision to reverse course while climbing into rising terrain, and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin which resulted in a stall/mush into trees and terrain.Mar 19, 1997 · Destroyed