What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 01/31/2003 N6087W was destroyed as a result of controlled flight into terrain. The pilot was enroute from long beach, CA to redding, CA. The private pilot along with a private lic. Copilot diverted to Tehachapi airport due to IFR conditions at redding CA. While flying in the right pattern at Tehachapi the PIC thought he heard a second aircraft keying a mike. The PIC then extended the down wind leg looking for the traffic. With no traffic noted the base to final turn was completed. On final a red light was noted ahead and to the left of the aircraft. The PIC and copilot thought this light was the other aircraft in the pattern and rolled right and down to avoid it. This resulted in controlled flight into the mountain the red light was marking the position of. N6087W was destroyed and the aircrew walked away with no injuries. (.19) on January 31, 2003, at 1836 pacific standard daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6087W, collided with terrain during the approach to landing at Tehachapi (tsp), California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The private pilot and one passenger su stained minor injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal cross-country flight departed long beach (lgb), California, about 1700, en route to redding, California, but diverted to Tehachapi due to weather en route and at redding. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated that he was approaching the airport for right traffic runway 11. He was on centerline on a long final. He noticed a red light between his airplane and the runway and thought it was an airplane. He followed the light to the airport. As he got closer, he saw that the red light marked terrain and immediately made a sharp, right, climbing turn to avoid contact. However, the airplane impacted the mountain and came to rest inverted on the other side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 01/31/2003 N6087W WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN. THE PILOT WAS ENROUTE FROM LONG BEACH, CA TO REDDING, CA. THE PRIVATE PILOT ALONG WITH A PRIVATE LIC. COPILOT DIVERTED TO TEHACHAPI AIRPORT DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS AT REDDING CA. WHILE FLYING IN THE RIGHT PATTERN AT TEHACHAPI THE PIC THOUGHT HE HEARD A SECOND AIRCRAFT KEYING A MIKE. THE PIC THEN EXTENDED THE DOWN WIND LEG LOOKING FOR THE TRAFFIC. WITH NO TRAFFIC NOTED THE BASE TO FINAL TURN WAS COMPLETED. ON FINAL A RED LIGHT WAS NOTED AHEAD AND TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC AND COPILOT THOUGHT THIS LIGHT WAS THE OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AND ROLLED RIGHT AND DOWN TO AVOID IT. THIS RESULTED IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO THE MOUNTAIN THE RED LIGHT WAS MARKING THE POSITION OF. N6087W WAS DESTROYED AND THE AIRCREW WALKED AWAY WITH NO INJURIES. (.19) ON JANUARY 31, 2003, AT 1836 PACIFIC STANDARD DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N6087W, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING THE APPROACH TO LANDING AT TEHACHAPI (TSP), CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SU STAINED MINOR INJURIES; THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT DEPARTED LONG BEACH (LGB), CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1700, EN ROUTE TO REDDING, CALIFORNIA, BUT DIVERTED TO TEHACHAPI DUE TO WEATHER EN ROUTE AND AT REDDING. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT FOR RIGHT TRAFFIC RUNWAY 11. HE WAS ON CENTERLINE ON A LONG FINAL. HE NOTICED A RED LIGHT BETWEEN HIS AIRPLANE AND THE RUNWAY AND THOUGHT IT WAS AN AIRPLANE. HE FOLLOWED THE LIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. AS HE GOT CLOSER, HE SAW THAT THE RED LIGHT MARKED TERRAIN AND IMMEDIATELY MADE A SHARP, RIGHT, CLIMBING TURN TO AVOID CONTACT. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE MOUNTAIN AND CAME TO REST INVERTED ON THE OTHER SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.