20060113000239A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Visalia, CA · January 13, 2006

Date: January 13, 2006 · 18:19 local
Place: Visalia, CA
Airport: Visalia Municipal
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N7291Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX06FA089
Reported as: Piper PA30
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 4
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,700 total

N7291YRegistration cancelled Apr 17, 2006 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-329 · Built 1964 Airframe modelPiper PA-30 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) N7291Y a Piper PA-30-30 twin engine aircraft, departed byron, CA (C83) airport VFR on 01/13/2006 at 5:20 pm PST with a destination of Visalia, CA (kvis). It is unknown if the pilot had obtained a weather briefing and no flight plan had been filed. Weather, however was not a factor as C83 and kvis were reporting clear skies. Fresno (fat) TRACON was providing flight following, yet terminated the aircraft at 6:11 pm PST, approx 6 miles northwest of the airport. According to the us naval observatory, the end of civil twilight was at 5:31 pm PST. The moonrise was 4:24 pm PST, yet would not be full until 12:06 am. The aircraft impacted the ground, in the dirt, approx 100 feet from the beginning of runway 30 at 6:20 pm. The aircraft was totally destroyed with no fire. All four occupants were fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N7291Y A PIPER PA-30-30 TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED BYRON, CA (C83) AIRPORT VFR ON 01/13/2006 AT 5:20 PM PST WITH A DESTINATION OF VISALIA, CA (KVIS). IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. WEATHER, HOWEVER WAS NOT A FACTOR AS C83 AND KVIS WERE REPORTING CLEAR SKIES. FRESNO (FAT) TRACON WAS PROVIDING FLIGHT FOLLOWING, YET TERMINATED THE AIRCRAFT AT 6:11 PM PST, APPROX 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE US NAVAL OBSERVATORY, THE END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT WAS AT 5:31 PM PST. THE MOONRISE WAS 4:24 PM PST, YET WOULD NOT BE FULL UNTIL 12:06 AM. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, IN THE DIRT, APPROX 100 FEET FROM THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 30 AT 6:20 PM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED WITH NO FIRE. ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX06FA089Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportVisalia, CAthe pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled descent. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's impairment due to his prolonged use of a highly sedating over-the-counter sleep aid…Jan 14, 2006 · Destroyed

Other reports on N7291Y · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19760804026599ALevel Off Touchdown · Pioche, NVPilot landed with sun directly in his eyesAug 4, 1976 · Substantial damage