# Accident 19980306002799A: Piper PA31350, Novato, CA, March 6, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 1998, 19:05 local time
- Place: Novato, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: APCA
- Location: 38.0993° N, 122.6291° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0993&lon=-122.6291&mi=10
- Aircraft: N257NW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N257NW-1998-11-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 4,300 total, 63 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98FA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA106) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980306002799A

## Narrative

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

IMPACTED RISING SLOPE OF A MOUNTAIN. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A VFR DUSK CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE 1,500-FOOT LEVEL OF A HILL.  RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DESCENT FROM 2,000 FEET UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST ABOUT 1,500 FEET MSL, WITH A FINAL GROUND SPEED OF 194 KNOTS.  THE ROUTE TAKEN BY THE PILOT WAS ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF THE ROUTE THAT THE COMPANY PILOTS ROUTINELY FLEW, BUT WHILE CROSSING HIGHER TERRAIN, IT WAS A MORE DIRECT ROUTE TO THE DESTINATION.  A COMPANY PILOT FLYING A FEW MINUTES AHEAD OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT REPORTED IT WAS NECESSARY TO DESCEND TO BETWEEN 1,200 AND 1,500 FEET MSL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR.  A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING THE AREA FROM THE WEST HAD RESULTED IN LOW STRATUS, RAIN, AND FOG. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, A NEARBY WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY REPORTED A 1,300-FOOT BROKEN CEILING WITH 5- TO 6-MILE VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND MIST.  ON THE EVENING OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT WAS SCHEDULED TO GIVE A SPEECH AS HER FINAL EXAMINATION IN AN EVENING COLLEGE COURSE.  SHE HAD INFORMED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT SHE MIGHT BE LATE, BUT HAD BEEN TOLD THAT HE COULD NOT HOLD THE CLASS PAST ITS SCHEDU                                      LED DISMISSAL TIME TO ACCOMMODATE HER LATE ARRIVAL. (-23)AIRPAC FLIGHT 263 DEPARTED STS AT APPROXIMATELY 1850 LCL AND CLIMBED TO 2000 FT. MSL ON A HEADING OF 143 TRUE.  AT APPROXIMATELY 1857 LCL THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A DESCENT WITH THE AIRCRAFT IMPATCHING RISING TERRAIN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF BURDELL MT. AT ABOUT THE 1400 FT LEVEL AT LAT 38 09'02"; LONG 122 35'07".  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TRESS AND WAS DESTROYED.  THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.  THE PILOT OF A SECOND COMPANY AIRCRAFT FLYING ONE MINUTE AHEAD AND TO THE EAST OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT WEATHER IN THE CRASH SITE VICINITY NECESSITATED HIM TO DESCEND TO 1200' TO MAINTAIN VFR.

## 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 LAX98FA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA106), Mar 6, 1998: Piper PA-31-350 (N257NW), Novato, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance after initiating a descent over mountainous terrain at night and under marginal VFR conditions. The pilot's self-induced pressure to arrive…

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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