What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a hill at the 3000 foot level while on ILS approace to rwy 16R. (.19)on December 19, 1998, at 0154 hours pacific standard time, a Piper PA28-181, N6272J, was destroyed after colliding with mountainous terrain near Santa Clarita, California. The pilot received fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight. According to the aircraft owner, the pilot was to have departed van nuys, California, about 1800 for lake havasu city, Arizona, and returned to van nuys by 0200. (.4)the private renter pilot had flown a night cross-country flight from southern California to Arizona. Upon returning at 0148 to his home base, a low stratus cloud cover existed. He had been receiving VFR flight following and subsequently requested an ILS approach for his destination airport. The pilot was unable to follow the controller's altitude and heading instructions. He was advised left of course and below his assigned altitude four times with a loss of radar contact twice. The vor/loc indicator had been out for repairs three times after complaints from renter pilots that the localizer needle was sticking or had poor needle deflection. The pilot's logbook noted VOR and localizer problems twice, 6 months prior to the accident. According to the pilot's logbook, he had flown about 31 hours in the past 6 months with .9 simulated and no actual instrument time. The pilot's last third-class flight physical of record occurred 27 months prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A HILL AT THE 3000 FOOT LEVEL WHILE ON ILS APPROACE TO RWY 16R. (.19)ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, AT 0154 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA28-181, N6272J, WAS DESTROYED AFTER COLLIDING WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, THE PILOT WAS TO HAVE DEPARTED VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1800 FOR LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA, AND RETURNED TO VAN NUYS BY 0200. (.4)THE PRIVATE RENTER PILOT HAD FLOWN A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO ARIZONA. UPON RETURNING AT 0148 TO HIS HOME BASE, A LOW STRATUS CLOUD COVER EXISTED. HE HAD BEEN RECEIVING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND SUBSEQUENTLY REQUESTED AN ILS APPROACH FOR HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO FOLLOW THE CONTROLLER'S ALTITUDE AND HEADING INSTRUCTIONS. HE WAS ADVISED LEFT OF COURSE AND BELOW HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE FOUR TIMES WITH A LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT TWICE. THE VOR/LOC INDICATOR HAD BEEN OUT FOR REPAIRS THREE TIMES AFTER COMPLAINTS FROM RENTER PILOTS THAT THE LOCALIZER NEEDLE WAS STICKING OR HAD POOR NEEDLE DEFLECTION. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK NOTED VOR AND LOCALIZER PROBLEMS TWICE, 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK, HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 31 HOURS IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS WITH .9 SIMULATED AND NO ACTUAL INSTRUMENT TIME. THE PILOT'S LAST THIRD-CLASS FLIGHT PHYSICAL OF RECORD OCCURRED 27 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.