# Accident 20051210029049A: Piper PA32RT300, Visalia, CA, December 10, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 10, 2005, 11:31 local time
- Place: Visalia, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.4358° N, 119.5836° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4358&lon=-119.5836&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3039B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3039B-2012-09-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300 (registry code 7103215, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06FA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06FA054) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051210029049A

## Narrative

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

(-23) N3039B, A PA-32RT-300 DEPARTED REID HILL-VIEW (KRHV) AIRPORT SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA VFR ON 12/10/2005 AT 10:26 AM PST WITH A DESTINATION OF VISALIA (KVIS), CALIFORNIA. PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE A WEATHER BRIEFING OR FILE A FLIGHT PLAN PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THERE ARE NO ATC/FSS RECORDS TO INDICATE THAT A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS REQUESTED OR RECEIVED WHILE ENROUTE TO KVIS. WEATHER AT KVIS WAS REPORTED TO BE 100 FT. OVERCAST AND 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY WHEN N3039B DEPARTED KRHV AND UPON ARRIVAL AT KVIS. PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED BUT DID NOT CONTACT ATC FOR ANY TYPE OF ATC SERVICES. LAST ATC COMMUNICATION WITH N3039B WAS AT DEPARTURE FROM RHV. PILOT CROSSED OVER THE VIS VOR HEADING EAST-SOUTHEAST, TURNED FURTHER SOUTHEAST AND MADE A COURSE REVERSAL BACK TO THE VIS VOR AND THEN FLEW NORTHWEST BOUND DESCENDING UNTIL IMPACTING THE GROUND AT 11:31 AM PST 6 NM NORTHWEST OF THE VIS VOR. AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE AFTER IMPACT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED.

## 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 LAX06FA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06FA054), Dec 10, 2005: Piper PA-32RT-300 (N3039B), Kingsburg, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's in-flight decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions during descent, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain. Fog, low ceiling, and…

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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