# Accident 20031224034459A: Piper PA34200T, Avalon, CA, December 24, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 24, 2003, 10:20 local time
- Place: Avalon, CA
- Airport: Catalina Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3764° N, 118.4192° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3764&lon=-118.4192&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3747U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3747U-2013-09-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 5
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04FA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031224034459A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THIS FLIGHT WAS A 'CHECKOUT' FLIGHT CONDUCTED BY THE ATP AND CFI RATED OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR A COMMERCIAL AND CFI RATED POTENTIAL RENTER. THIS CHECK WAS DONE IN IMC CONDITIONS. WHILE EXECUTING THE VOR-B APPROACH AT KAVX, THE PILOT FAILED TO INITIATE A CLIMB AT THE MISSED APPROACH POINT (MAFPI). THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN 2.7 MILES BEYOND MAFPI AT AN ELEVATION ABOUT 20' BELOW THE MDA. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. JUST PRIOR TO HIS FREQUENCY CHANGE TO THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF TRAFFIC AHEAD AND BELOW.

## 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 LAX04FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04FA077), Dec 24, 2003: Piper PA-34-200T (N3747U), Avalon, CA, destroyed, 5 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of both pilots to properly execute the published missed approach procedure.

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.

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