What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, December 19, 2015, Mr. Jason thomas price, private pilot certificate number 3651312, operated as the pilot in command of a Piper PA-32RT-300T, registered as N36402, serial number 32R-7887041. The flight originated from reid-hillview airport of santa clara county (krhv) in san jose, California destined for henderson executive airport (khnd) in las vegas, Nevada. The aircraft is registered to rad aviation LLC located at 1537 de anza way, san jose, CA 95125. The pilot filed a VFR flight plan with csc duats prior to departure from krhv and also received a weather briefing electronically. Mr. Price?s planned flight time was approximately 2 hours 6 minuites at 13,500 feet. The VFR flight plan that was filed was never opened in flight with flight service. However, air traffic control (ATC) radar flight following was utilized en route.
At approximately 22:35 UTC, Piper N36402, was observed departing krhv, making a left downwind departure to the southeast. He checked in with norcal approach and continued his south easterly course while climbing in altitude. While en route over central California, air traffic control issued multiple advisories regarding weather phenomena in the vicinity.
At approximatetly 23:50 UTC, ATC asked N36402 if he wanted an instrument flight rules clearance to khnd because of reported areas of moderate precipitation along his route of flight. N36402 agreed to accept the IFR clearance. At 23:52 UTC, ATC issued N36402 the clearance ?cleared to the henderson airport, via direct hec V21 bld direct, maintain 15 thousand. N36402 read back the clerance and started a turn to the north. At 23:54:16 ATC instructed N36402 to fly a heading of 095, which was acknowledged by N36402. At 23:55:20 ATC instructed N36402 to make an immediate right turn heading 095. N36402 did not acknowledge this instruction.
At 23:55:31 UTC, in the vicinity of Bakersfield, CA, Piper N36402 declared ?air traffic control lance 402 mayday mayday mayday.? At 23:55:48 UTC, Piper N36402 again declared ?402 mayday mayday mayday? Which was the last radio transmission from the aircraft. ATC responded and attempted to provide N36402 with direction to Bakersfield airport. ATC made attempts to try to establish contact with N36402. At 23:56 UTC, air traffic control also lost radar contact with the aircraft.
The aircraft suffered an in-flight breakup and crashed approxametely 9.8 nautical miles south by south east of meadows field airport (kbfl) in Bakersfield, CA. The aircraft wreckage was scattered in an area 1/2 statue mile by 1/3 statue mile. The nose of the aircraft came to rest in a ditch located in the southern end of the wreckage area. The remainder of the aircraft was spread out in an orchard located north of where the nose the aircraft came to rest.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015, MR. JASON THOMAS PRICE, PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 3651312, OPERATED AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A PIPER PA-32RT-300T, REGISTERED AS N36402, SERIAL NUMBER 32R-7887041. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY (KRHV) IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA DESTINED FOR HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KHND) IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO RAD AVIATION LLC LOCATED AT 1537 DE ANZA WAY, SAN JOSE, CA 95125. THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH CSC DUATS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM KRHV AND ALSO RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING ELECTRONICALLY. MR. PRICE?S PLANNED FLIGHT TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS 6 MINUITES AT 13,500 FEET. THE VFR FLIGHT PLAN THAT WAS FILED WAS NEVER OPENED IN FLIGHT WITH FLIGHT SERVICE. HOWEVER, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS UTILIZED EN ROUTE.
AT APPROXIMATELY 22:35 UTC, PIPER N36402, WAS OBSERVED DEPARTING KRHV, MAKING A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE TO THE SOUTHEAST. HE CHECKED IN WITH NORCAL APPROACH AND CONTINUED HIS SOUTH EASTERLY COURSE WHILE CLIMBING IN ALTITUDE. WHILE EN ROUTE OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ISSUED MULTIPLE ADVISORIES REGARDING WEATHER PHENOMENA IN THE VICINITY.
AT APPROXIMATETLY 23:50 UTC, ATC ASKED N36402 IF HE WANTED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CLEARANCE TO KHND BECAUSE OF REPORTED AREAS OF MODERATE PRECIPITATION ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. N36402 AGREED TO ACCEPT THE IFR CLEARANCE. AT 23:52 UTC, ATC ISSUED N36402 THE CLEARANCE ?CLEARED TO THE HENDERSON AIRPORT, VIA DIRECT HEC V21 BLD DIRECT, MAINTAIN 15 THOUSAND. N36402 READ BACK THE CLERANCE AND STARTED A TURN TO THE NORTH. AT 23:54:16 ATC INSTRUCTED N36402 TO FLY A HEADING OF 095, WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY N36402. AT 23:55:20 ATC INSTRUCTED N36402 TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN HEADING 095. N36402 DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS INSTRUCTION.
AT 23:55:31 UTC, IN THE VICINITY OF BAKERSFIELD, CA, PIPER N36402 DECLARED ?AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL LANCE 402 MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY.? AT 23:55:48 UTC, PIPER N36402 AGAIN DECLARED ?402 MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY? WHICH WAS THE LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ATC RESPONDED AND ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE N36402 WITH DIRECTION TO BAKERSFIELD AIRPORT. ATC MADE ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH N36402. AT 23:56 UTC, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ALSO LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP AND CRASHED APPROXAMETELY 9.8 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH BY SOUTH EAST OF MEADOWS FIELD AIRPORT (KBFL) IN BAKERSFIELD, CA. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED IN AN AREA 1/2 STATUE MILE BY 1/3 STATUE MILE. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A DITCH LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WRECKAGE AREA. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SPREAD OUT IN AN ORCHARD LOCATED NORTH OF WHERE THE NOSE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N36402 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.