20061221027899A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Big Pine, CA · December 21, 2006

Date: December 21, 2006 · 13:15 local
Place: Big Pine, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9141Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX07FA060
Reported as: Piper PA28161
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N9141YRegistration cancelled Jul 10, 2008 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-8616014 · Built 1985 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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) On 12/21/2006, at approximately 13:15 hours local, N9141Y, Piper pa 28-161, serial #28-8616014, crashed 12.5 miles east, southeast of Big Pine, California. The aircraft wreckage was found near the northeast end of a box canyon which displayed constant rising terrain in an easterly direction. It appeared as if N9141Y may have attempted to enter this box canyon, and once within the canyon there was no way out other than performing a steep turn at a low altitude due to the rising terrain. Ground scarring and aircraft damage suggest that the left wing impacted on the surface first, which suggest that the aircraft may have entered a stall spin condition while attempting to exit this canyon. Aircraft point of rest: nose of aircraft heading 250 degrees.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 12/21/2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:15 HOURS LOCAL, N9141Y, PIPER PA 28-161, SERIAL #28-8616014, CRASHED 12.5 MILES EAST, SOUTHEAST OF BIG PINE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND NEAR THE NORTHEAST END OF A BOX CANYON WHICH DISPLAYED CONSTANT RISING TERRAIN IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. IT APPEARED AS IF N9141Y MAY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THIS BOX CANYON, AND ONCE WITHIN THE CANYON THERE WAS NO WAY OUT OTHER THAN PERFORMING A STEEP TURN AT A LOW ALTITUDE DUE TO THE RISING TERRAIN. GROUND SCARRING AND AIRCRAFT DAMAGE SUGGEST THAT THE LEFT WING IMPACTED ON THE SURFACE FIRST, WHICH SUGGEST THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE ENTERED A STALL SPIN CONDITION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THIS CANYON. AIRCRAFT POINT OF REST: NOSE OF AIRCRAFT HEADING 250 DEGREES.

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 LAX07FA060Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportBig Pine, CAThe inadequate in-flight/planning decision of both pilots to fly up a box canyon at low altitude, and their failure to maintain clearance from the terrain.Dec 21, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9141Y · 2

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

Accident 20030906022789AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Sacramento, CA(-23) The pilot started the engine and began to taxi when he felt the landing gear roll onto an object. The plane stopped. The pilot waved his girlfriend into the area to see what the gear was hitting. After a brief conversation, the girlfriend turned around…Sep 6, 2003 Incident 20010615017409IUnauth Low Level Opns · Tracy, CA(-23) A hotline report from an individual stated that a pilot got lost and he descended to read street signs and hit a power line. The caller stated that the airplane was located at Tracy airport in CA. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the right wing…Jun 15, 2001 · Substantial damage