- Date
- September 7, 1989, 10:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lk Havasu City, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3999WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890907033979A
- Case key
- 17607
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's attention diverted outside the airplane. This diversion resulted in the pilot failing to monitor his altitude while in a descending turn and inadvertently flying the airplane into the water.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot and passenger had flown to lake Havasu to visit the passenger's relatives and friends who were vacationing on a houseboat. Witnesses stated they observed N3999W approach at a low altitude and circle a particular point on the lake. They also stated the airplane was in a right bank and gradually descended during the turns until the airplane impacted the water. A review of the pilot's logbook revealed he had accumulated approximately 195 hours of total flight time. The toxicology report on the passenger revealed he tested positive for cocaine and had an elevated level of antihistamines in blood and tissue samples.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3999W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-967
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rejlek, Richard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CNO · Chino, CA
- Destination
- LHU
- Airport
- LHU · Lake Havasu City
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EED, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.