What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The a/c arrived in the vicinity of the Selma, CA. Airport approx. 0400 local time with a crew of one and one pax. On board. Information received via the fresno county sheriff dept. Stated that the a/c attempted two (2) landings on runway 28 without success. A third landing attempt was made to runway 10. The a/c struck a irrigation canal and grape vineyard that is on the approach end of runway 10. The sheriff dept. Reported that there was ground fog on the airport at the time of the accident. Investigation as of this time does not indicate any mechanical malfunctions of a/c. the airport runway lights were reported to be operative at the time of the accident. (.4) on November 6, 2000, about 0400 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 340A, N12273, operated by air san luis of san luis obispo, California, was destroyed during collision with terrain while on approach to land at Selma, California. The airline transport rated pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger received serious injuries. The flight was operating as an on-demand air taxi under 14 CFR part 135, and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated at paso robles, California, about 0320. The pilot obtai ned two abbreviated weather briefings from the federal aviation administration (FAA) hawthorne, California, flight service station on the morning of the accident. The airplane departed the company base at san luis obispo, about 0235, for the passenger pickup at paso robles. According to charter load manifest paperwork recovered at the accident site, the airplane landed at paso robles at 0250. The pilot was to return an organ transplant nurse/passenger to Selma, where her car was parked. En route to Selma, the pilot was receiving visual flight following from oakland, California, air route traffic center. In the vicinity of Selma the pilot reported twice, when asked, "do you have the airport in sight" that he might not be able to see the airport until he was over the top of it. Subsequently the airport was reported to be in sight and the VFR service was cancelled. According to local area witnesses, the airplane made two attempts to land on runway 28, and the final approach to runway 10. Witnesses, including the airport manager, reported that ground fog was obscuring the airport, with the manager's estimate of approximately 500 feet of horizontal visibility. The manager stated that yo could look up and see stars. The airplane collided with a grape vineyard pole, and then the west embankment of a canal running northeast across the approach end of runway 10. All three landing gear were severed from the airplane. It then collided with the east embankment, about 250 feet short of the runway 10 threshold. There are no lights prior to the threshold green/red lights.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE A/C ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SELMA, CA. AIRPORT APPROX. 0400 LOCAL TIME WITH A CREW OF ONE AND ONE PAX. ON BOARD. INFORMATION RECEIVED VIA THE FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT. STATED THAT THE A/C ATTEMPTED TWO (2) LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 28 WITHOUT SUCCESS. A THIRD LANDING ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RUNWAY 10. THE A/C STRUCK A IRRIGATION CANAL AND GRAPE VINEYARD THAT IS ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 10. THE SHERIFF DEPT. REPORTED THAT THERE WAS GROUND FOG ON THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. INVESTIGATION AS OF THIS TIME DOES NOT INDICATE ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF A/C. THE AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE REPORTED TO BE OPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 6, 2000, ABOUT 0400 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 340A, N12273, OPERATED BY AIR SAN LUIS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, WAS DESTROYED DURING COLLISION WITH TERRAIN WHILE ON APPROACH TO LAND AT SELMA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING AS AN ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI UNDER 14 CFR PART 135, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 0320. THE PILOT OBTAI NED TWO ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, FLIGHT SERVICE STATION ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE COMPANY BASE AT SAN LUIS OBISPO, ABOUT 0235, FOR THE PASSENGER PICKUP AT PASO ROBLES. ACCORDING TO CHARTER LOAD MANIFEST PAPERWORK RECOVERED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT PASO ROBLES AT 0250. THE PILOT WAS TO RETURN AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT NURSE/PASSENGER TO SELMA, WHERE HER CAR WAS PARKED. EN ROUTE TO SELMA, THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING VISUAL FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CENTER. IN THE VICINITY OF SELMA THE PILOT REPORTED TWICE, WHEN ASKED, "DO YOU HAVE THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT" THAT HE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE AIRPORT UNTIL HE WAS OVER THE TOP OF IT. SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRPORT WAS REPORTED TO BE IN SIGHT AND THE VFR SERVICE WAS CANCELLED. ACCORDING TO LOCAL AREA WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28, AND THE FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 10. WITNESSES, INCLUDING THE AIRPORT MANAGER, REPORTED THAT GROUND FOG WAS OBSCURING THE AIRPORT, WITH THE MANAGER'S ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET OF HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY. THE MANAGER STATED THAT YO COULD LOOK UP AND SEE STARS. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A GRAPE VINEYARD POLE, AND THEN THE WEST EMBANKMENT OF A CANAL RUNNING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 10. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE SEVERED FROM THE AIRPLANE. IT THEN COLLIDED WITH THE EAST EMBANKMENT, ABOUT 250 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY 10 THRESHOLD. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE THRESHOLD GREEN/RED LIGHTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.