# Accident 20010309003849A: Piper PA32R300, Needles, CA, March 9, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 9, 2001, 09:50 local time - Place: Needles, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.9602° N, 115.3100° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.9602&lon=-115.3100&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1965H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1965H-2002-02-19) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32R-300 (registry code 7103213, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R300 - Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5D - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 13,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01FA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA113) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010309003849A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON MARCH 9, 2001, ABOUT 0950 HOURS PST, A PIPER PA-32R-300, N1965H, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN AT THE 4,800 FOOT MSL LEVEL, SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ESSEX, CALIFORNIA. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY AERO ALLIANCE LLC UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM EAGLE AIRPARK AT BULLHEAD CITY, AZ. AT 1030 MST AND THE DESTINATION WAS UNKNOWN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPORT OPERATOR AT EAGLE AIRPARK SAID THE PILOT DEPARTED ABOUT MID-DAY. THE PILOT HAD TOLD THE OPERATOR THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING GETTING INTO THE AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION BUSINESS AND HAD IDENTIFIED TWO POSSIBLE EXISTING BUSINESSES FOR ACQUISITION. THE OPERATOR SPECULATED THAT THE PILOT INTENDED TO FLY TO ONE OR BOTH OF THEM. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 34 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPORT OPERATOR ADDED THAT THE WEATHER WAS "BAD" THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPORT IS IN A VALLEY AND IT WAS CLEAR OVERHEAD; HOWEVER, THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED ABOVE 4,000 FEET IN DARK CLOUDS IN ALL DIRECTIONS. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHO OPERATED A FLIGHT SCHOOL IN EAGLE AIRPARK, WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT A/C AND RECOGNIZED THE AIRPLANE. SHE RECALLED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT SHE WAS A LITTLE LATE FOR HER 1000 STUDENT APPOINTMENT AND THEY TAXIED OUT ABOUT 1020 MST. SHE RECALLED SHARING THE RUN-UP AREA WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, AND, BECAUSE THE RUN-UP AREA IS SMALL, SHE TOLD THE PILOT (ON THE RADIO) TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE OFF. THE TIME WAS ABOUT 1030 MST. SHE RECALLED THE WEATHER AT EAGLE AIRPARK WAS "FINE" BUT THERE WERE SOME RAIN SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AND THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS "PROBABLY" OBSCURED IN CLOUDS. THE AIR FORCE RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER RECEIVED THE FIRST SIGNAL FROM AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) BEACON AT 1003 PST. SEARCH A/C LOCATED THE WRECKAGE AT 1113 PST ON MARCH 10, 2001. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS IN THE OLD WOMAN MOUNTAINS, ON A STEEP, ROCKY, DESERT MOUNTAIN SLOPE ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW A LOCAL PEAK AT 4,800 FEET MSL. THE SITE IS ON THE NORTHEASTERN FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE WRECKAGE WAS LYING AT THE BASE OF A VERTICAL ROCK FACE AND THERE WAS A SHINY ALUMINUM DEBRIS EMBEDDED IN THE ROCK FACE ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RESTING LOCATION OF THE WRECKAGE. (-23) ON MARCH 9, 2001 A PIPER PA-32-300, N1965H, CRASHED 28 MILES SSW OF NEEDLES AIRPORT, NEEDLES, CA. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON MARCH 9, 2001, AT 0950 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST), A PIPER PA-32R-300, N1965H, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN 15 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ESSEX, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM EAGLE AIRPARK AT BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA, AT 1030 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), AND THE DESTINATION WAS UNKNOWN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE OPERATOR OF THE EAGLE AIRPARK SAID THAT THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HAD A CONTRACT WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA TO DELIVER BANK MAIL (PRIMARILY CANCELLED CHECKS). THE ROUTE WAS FROM BURBANK TO IMPERIAL AND THEN TO NEEDLES (CALIFORNIA). THE PILOT NORMALLY LEFT BURBANK IN THE MORNING, FLEW TO IMPERIAL AND THEN ON TO NEEDLES, LAN DING AT EAGLE AIRPARK BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER TO THE CITY CENTER THAN THE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE NORMALLY STAYED IN NEEDLES (EAGLE) DURING THE DAY UNTIL ABOUT 1930 MST WHEN THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO BURBANK VIA IMPERIAL WITH THE EVENING MAIL. THE TRIP WAS REPEATED DAILY, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE AIRPORT OPERATOR SAID THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS NOT PART OF THE BANK FLIGHT ITINERARY. THE PILOT DEPARTED ABOUT MIDDAY WITH THE PASSENGER. THE PILOT HAD TOLD THE OPERATOR THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING GETTING INTO THE AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION BUSINESS AND HAD IDENTIFIED TWO POSSIBLE EXISTING BUSINESSES FOR ACQUISITION. THE OPERATOR SPECULATED THAT THE PILOT INTENDED TO FLY TO ONE OR BOTH OF THEM. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT RETURN TO NEEDLES TO PICKUP THE EVENING BANK MAIL. THE OPERATOR SAID THAT THE BANK COURIER NORMALLY BROUGHT THE MAIL TO THE AIRPORT AND LEFT IT IN THE AIRPLANE IF THE PILOT WAS NOT THERE, OR, LEFT IT IN THE PILOT'S VAN IF THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT THERE. THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT (SATURDAY, MARCH 10) THE VAN WAS AT THE AIRPORT WITH THE PREVIOUS DAY'S BANK MAIL STILL IN IT. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHO OPERATED A FLIGHT SCHOOL AT EAGLE AIRPARK, WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND RECOGNIZED THE AIRPLANE. SHE RECALLED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT SHE WAS A LITTLE LATE FOR HER 1000 MST STUDENT APPOINTMENT, AND THEY TAXIED OUT ABOUT 1020. SHE RECALLED SHARING THE RUN-UP AREA WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, AND, BECAUSE THE RUN-UP AREA IS SMALL, SHE TOLD THE PILOT (ON THE RADIO) TO GO AHEAD AND TAKEOFF. THE TIME WAS ABOUT 1030. ACCORDING TO THE AIR FORCE RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER (AFRCC) AT LANGLEY AFB, VIRGINIA, THEY RECEIVED THE FIRST SIGNAL FROM AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) BEACON AT 1003 PST. THE AFRCC ASSIGNED THE SIGNAL A MISSION NUMBER (01M0442) AND SUBSEQUENTLY REFINED THE POSITION OF THE BEACON, PASSING THE INFORMATION TO THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WHO THEN LOCATED THE WRECKAGE AT 1113 PST ON MARCH 10, 2001. ## 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 LAX01FA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01FA113), Mar 9, 2001: Piper PA-32R-300 (N1965H), Essex, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: Rupture of the fuel injection flow divider diaphragm due to improper manufacture of the raw material stock from which the diaphragm was fabricated. The diaphragm tear resulted in complete engine… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.