# Accident 19980603012299A: Vickers/Supermarine SPITFIRE MARK XVI, Blue Canyon, CA, June 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 3, 1998, 10:45 local time
- Place: Blue Canyon, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9193° N, 121.0701° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9193&lon=-121.0701&mi=10
- Aircraft: N382RW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N382RW-2002-02-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Vickers/Supermarine SPITFIRE MARK XVI (registry code 9470122, https://openairdocs.org/model/vickers-supermarine-spitfire-mark-xvi) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce MERLIN (registry code 54502, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-merlin) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported engine: RROYCE DART5298H
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA180) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980603012299A

## Narrative

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

SCUD RUNNING IN RIVER CANYON ENCOUNTERED IMC. WING HIT TREES TRYING TO TURN BACK IN BOTTOM OF CANYON. (.4) ON JUNE 3, 1998, ABOUT 1045 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A VICKERS SUPERMARINE MK XVI, N382RW, WAS DESTROYED AFTER COLLIDING WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR BLUE CANYON, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT CHICO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1017, AND WAS DESTINED FOR MINDEN, NEVADA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AT THE DEPARTURE POINT AND DESTINATION, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL HELICOPTER LOCATED THE WRECKAGE ON JUNE 4, 1998, ABOUT 1415. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT AFTER AN AIRSHOW. THE DISTANCE OF THE FLIGHT WAS ABOUT 125 MILES OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. AT 0754, THE PILOT OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FOR A VFR FLIGHT FROM CHICO TO MINDEN. HE ASKED FOR ACTUAL AND FORECAST WEATHER. HE STATED THAT IT SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 30 MINUTES EN ROUTE AT 1,500 FEET AGL. THE BRIEFER INITIALLY REPORTED MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS FOR THE ROUTE. HE FURTHER STATED "THAT BLUE CANYON WAS NOW (0758) SHOWING A FEW CLOUDS AT 2,800 FEET AND IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY    HAVE IMPROVED." AT 0952, THE BLUE CANYON METAR WAS REPORTING: WIND VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 5 MILES; MIST; CEILING 400 BROKEN; 4,000 OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE 44 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; DEW POINT 32 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT; AND THE ALTIMETER WAS 29.98 INHG. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WERE OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AND FOG. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF AT 1017, FOLLOWED BY A LOW PASS OVER THE AIRPORT. A PILOT WITNESS IN THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON RECOGNIZED THE VINTAGE WARBIRD, AND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER THE TOWN ABOUT 400 FEET AGL AT LOW CRUISE POWER AND THE WEATHER WAS GOOD. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT DAY ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF BLUE CANYON ABOUT 5,000 FEET MSL. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #LAX98LA180

## 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 LAX98LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA180), Jun 3, 1998: Vickers MK XVI (N382RW), Blue Canyon, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance and his VFR flight into instrument meteorological condition. Mountainous terran and obscurations are contributing factos. inadvertent flight…

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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