19980321004039A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr MARSH 1 · Lone Pine, CA · March 21, 1998

Date: March 21, 1998 · 12:00 local
Place: Lone Pine, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N166VP
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA126
Reported as: Amtr MARSH1
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 939 total164 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

N166VPRegistration cancelled Aug 28, 1998 · Marsh Victor MARSH 1S/N 166 Airframe modelMarsh Victor MARSH 1

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.

Acft was flying in a canyon when it clipped a tree, crashed and was destroyed, Lone Pine, CA. (-4)the pilot intended to fly his homebuilt airplane, with its 65 horsepower engine, in a westward direction over the sierra Nevada mountains. After departure from the 3,680-foot mean sea level (MSL) Lone Pine airport, the pilot circled the area to gain altitude. Eventually the pilot located a mountain pass and proceeded in a westerly direction toward his home in tracy, California. The elevation of the underlying terrain began increasing faster than the airplane was climbing, so the pilot made a forced landing on the snow-covered mountainside. The accident site elevation is about 10,500 feet MSL and is about 8 miles southeast of Mt. Whitney. In the pilot's completed report, he indicated that no mechanical malfunctions or failures were experienced during the accident flight in his experimental airplane.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT WAS FLYING IN A CANYON WHEN IT CLIPPED A TREE, CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED, LONE PINE, CA. (-4)THE PILOT INTENDED TO FLY HIS HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, WITH ITS 65 HORSEPOWER ENGINE, IN A WESTWARD DIRECTION OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE 3,680-FOOT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) LONE PINE AIRPORT, THE PILOT CIRCLED THE AREA TO GAIN ALTITUDE. EVENTUALLY THE PILOT LOCATED A MOUNTAIN PASS AND PROCEEDED IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION TOWARD HIS HOME IN TRACY, CALIFORNIA. THE ELEVATION OF THE UNDERLYING TERRAIN BEGAN INCREASING FASTER THAN THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING, SO THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON THE SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINSIDE. THE ACCIDENT SITE ELEVATION IS ABOUT 10,500 FEET MSL AND IS ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MT. WHITNEY. IN THE PILOT'S COMPLETED REPORT, HE INDICATED THAT NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE EXPERIENCED DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT IN HIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE.

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 LAX98LA126Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLone Pine, CAThe pilot's improper in-flight planning, misjudged terrain clearance, and failure to attain adequate altitude before attempting to traverse the mountain pass. Contributing factors were the high density altitude and the rising, mountainous terrain.Mar 21, 1998 · Substantial damage