LAX02FA131

The airplane collided with trees and mountainous terrain during a personal flight over Sequoia National Park. The noninstrument rated pilot and three passengers departed for a flight around Sequoia National Park. When the flight failed to return, a search was initiated, with aerial search efforts hampered by prevailing cloud cover over the mountainous park. Four days later, a military helicopter located the accident site about 5,900 feet msl. The accident site was located in tall timber with occasional snow beds. Park service officials reported that on the day of the accident cloud cover existed in the park over the area of the accident site with bases estimated about 5,000 feet msl. Fragmented wreckage was scattered along a 090-degree magnetic heading about 150 feet. A fire had consumed the center section of the airplane. The wing panel leading edges revealed near perpendicular 12- and 18-inch semicircular radius impacts dimensionally similar to the surrounding trees. Tree bark material transfers were noted in the impressions. The wing panels and landing gears were severed from their corresponding structural attach points. One propeller blade had light damage and the other had major damage with trailing edge "S" bending and the loss of 4 inches of blade tip. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine disclosed no preimpact anomalies.

History of flight

On April 6, 2002, about 1540 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7839W, collided with mountainous terrain during a flight over Sequoia National Park, near Three Rivers, California. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and three passengers all received fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The personal flight departed Visalia, California, about 1459, for a flight around Sequoia National Park. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure point, and no flight plan had been filed.

When the airplane failed to return to Visalia at the expected time, family members notified authorities. Limited information was available at the start of the search. The Visalia airport is uncontrolled and there had been no contact made with any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility. An airport search was performed and a request for radar assistance was made by the Civil Air Patrol. An estimated departure time was obtained from witnesses located at the Visalia airport. Recorded radar data was examined for the approximate departure time of an aircraft from Visalia. A radar track was developed showing an aircraft taking off from Visalia at 1459:57. The target was tracked to the town of Ivanhoe where it circled and then proceeded south to the east side of Tulare, then towards the canyon entrance to the Sequoia National Park.

The radar track ended at 1540:09. A ground and air search was conducted over the mountainous area with weather delays hampering the search. National Park service officials reported cloud cover in the park with bases estimated about 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl). On April 10, 2002, about 1130, a military helicopter located the accident site about 8 miles east-southeast of Morro Rock near Potwisha, about 5,900 feet msl. The accident site was located in tall timber with occasional snow beds northeast of the mountain's crest of 9,180 feet.

Personnel information

According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for single engine land airplanes. He did not have an instrument rating. At the pilot's last recorded third-class flight physical he reported a total flight time of 405 hours, with 25 hours in the last in the last 6 months. The pilot's logbook was not recovered.

Aircraft information

The airplane records were not recovered. Copies of the last annual inspection were obtained. According to the information, the last documented annual inspection occurred on February 8, 2002.

Meteorological information

National Park service personnel reported cloud bases about 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) at the time of the accident in the area of the crash site. The ongoing low cloud cover hampered the search. According to military helicopter search personnel, the accident site was located at 5,900 feet msl, in tall timber with occasional snow beds northeast of the mountain's crest of 9,180 feet msl.

Wreckage and impact information

The crash site was located in tall timber and occasional snow patches about 1.3 miles northwest of Little Sand Meadow. A Tulare County Sheriff's office global positioning system (GPS) indicated about 6,750 feet msl. The GPS location is 36: 31.314 N latitude and 118:40.045 W longitude.

Fragmented wreckage was scattered along a 090-degree magnetic heading about 150 feet. A fire had consumed the center section of the airplane. The wing panel leading edges revealed near perpendicular 12- and 18-inch semicircular radius impacts dimensionally similar to the surrounding trees. Tree bark material transfers were noted in the impressions. The wing panels and landing gears were severed from their corresponding structural attach points. One propeller blade had light damage and the other had major damage with trailing edge "S" bending and the loss of 4 inches of blade tip. The wreckage was recovered for a detailed examination.

The Narco ELT-10 emergency locator beacon did not function during the accident sequence. The switch was found in the "Arm" position and the battery was dated good through December 2003. The unit was heat damaged. It was successfully functional tested on April 15, 2002.

Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine disclosed no preimpact anomalies.

Medical and pathological information

On April 14, 2002, the Tulare County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the pilot. During the procedure samples were obtained for toxicological examination by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drugs.

Additional information

The wreckage was released to the insurance company representative on April 6, 2004.