- Date
- July 28, 2006, 15:27 local (22:27 UTC)
- Place
- Independence, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N346DBeech V35B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 64241
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
the pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight planning regarding the selection of the altitude and route of flight, which resulted in a collision with terrain in a box canyon after encountering mountain wave.
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 airplane collided with terrain in a box canyon during the en route climb. The planned route of flight was westbound over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The pilot indicated that downdrafts from a mountain wave prevented the airplane from climbing. The airplane was in a box canyon, and she had no room to turn toward lower terrain. The pilot landed the airplane in a clearing near a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage in the rough terrain.
Factual narrative
On July 28, 2006, about 1527 Pacific daylight time, a Beech V35B, N346D, collided with terrain near Independence, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Independence about 1520, with a planned destination of Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
While en route from Las Vegas to San Francisco, the pilot experienced a loss of electrical power and landed at Independence. After charging the airplane’s battery, the pilot departed for Madera, where repairs to the electrical system could be made.
While climbing over the lee side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 8 miles west of Independence, the pilot encountered a mountain wave activity and was unable to climb. The airplane was in a box canyon, and she had no room to turn toward lower terrain. The pilot landed the airplane in a clearing near a road about 50 miles per hour. The airplane sustained substantial damage in the rough terrain.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N346D
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-10108
- Airframe hours
- 2,545
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rosemarie Pelfrey
- Registered owner
- Rosemarie Pelfrey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- 2O7 · Independence, CA
- Destination
- MAE · Madera, CA
- Airport
- 2O7 · Independence
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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,245 total · 1,165 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- BIH, 37 nm away