What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 6/18/99, a Piper pa 28R-200, N2706R, flown by a private pilot for pleasure under CFR 14 part 91 operations, collided with terrain in a mountain area at bass lake, oakhurst, CA. N2706R was observed flying 310 degrees heading over sierra forest chilikool camp grounds at 200 feet above the trees. Ten seconds later and 1/4 mile west of the campgrounds, the airplane impacted the trees at 1005 PDT. The engine was reported operating with power.(.4) the airplane collided with 100-foot-tall trees as it headed up a canyon. The pilot flew about 1,000 feet over bass lake (elevation 3,500 feet) and then headed towards the local mountains. A campground host at the chilkoot campgrounds (elevation 4,700 feet) was sitting next to his trailer several miles north of bass lake. This trailer was oriented 350 degrees and the airplane flew by parallel to his trailer. The trees in this area were over 100 feet tall, and the airplane was approximately 100 feet over the trees and 100 feet west of the trailer. The host heard the airplane for 3 or 4 seconds before it arrived at his position, and the engine was running smoothly. Then he heard the sound increase as it passed by and thought power was being added. He lost sight of the airplane due to the trees and several seconds later heard two separate sounds of what he described as metal crunching. The density altitude was approximately 6,500 feet. From chilcoot campground, the terrain to the east rose about 1,000 feet within 1/2 mile; to the west about 500 feet within 1 NM; and to the north about 800 feet within 1 NM. The pilot accumulated a total time of 345 hours with 1.5 hours in this make and model, including a 1-hour checkout by an instructor pilot 2 months prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 6/18/99, A PIPER PA 28R-200, N2706R, FLOWN BY A PRIVATE PILOT FOR PLEASURE UNDER CFR 14 PART 91 OPERATIONS, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN IN A MOUNTAIN AREA AT BASS LAKE, OAKHURST, CA. N2706R WAS OBSERVED FLYING 310 DEGREES HEADING OVER SIERRA FOREST CHILIKOOL CAMP GROUNDS AT 200 FEET ABOVE THE TREES. TEN SECONDS LATER AND 1/4 MILE WEST OF THE CAMPGROUNDS, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TREES AT 1005 PDT. THE ENGINE WAS REPORTED OPERATING WITH POWER.(.4) THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH 100-FOOT-TALL TREES AS IT HEADED UP A CANYON. THE PILOT FLEW ABOUT 1,000 FEET OVER BASS LAKE (ELEVATION 3,500 FEET) AND THEN HEADED TOWARDS THE LOCAL MOUNTAINS. A CAMPGROUND HOST AT THE CHILKOOT CAMPGROUNDS (ELEVATION 4,700 FEET) WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIS TRAILER SEVERAL MILES NORTH OF BASS LAKE. THIS TRAILER WAS ORIENTED 350 DEGREES AND THE AIRPLANE FLEW BY PARALLEL TO HIS TRAILER. THE TREES IN THIS AREA WERE OVER 100 FEET TALL, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET OVER THE TREES AND 100 FEET WEST OF THE TRAILER. THE HOST HEARD THE AIRPLANE FOR 3 OR 4 SECONDS BEFORE IT ARRIVED AT HIS POSITION, AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY. THEN HE HEARD THE SOUND INCREASE AS IT PASSED BY AND THOUGHT POWER WAS BEING ADDED. HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE TREES AND SEVERAL SECONDS LATER HEARD TWO SEPARATE SOUNDS OF WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS METAL CRUNCHING. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,500 FEET. FROM CHILCOOT CAMPGROUND, THE TERRAIN TO THE EAST ROSE ABOUT 1,000 FEET WITHIN 1/2 MILE; TO THE WEST ABOUT 500 FEET WITHIN 1 NM; AND TO THE NORTH ABOUT 800 FEET WITHIN 1 NM. THE PILOT ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 345 HOURS WITH 1.5 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL, INCLUDING A 1-HOUR CHECKOUT BY AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT 2 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.