- Date
- May 19, 2008, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rockport, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N90930Bellanca 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: VFR encounter with IMC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080519834439A
- Case key
- 68057
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 performance of VFR flight into IMC, resulting in failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident was the fog.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot took off from a dirt airstrip with 1/2-mile visibility to the west due to ocean fog. The pilot flew into the fog, he then turned south. However, he continued into more fog, so he turned east. When he came out of the fog, he did not have enough altitude to clear trees on top of mountainous terrain ahead. He clipped some trees with the landing gear and impacted on a hilltop, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot took off from a dirt airstrip with 1/2-mile visibility to the west due to ocean fog. The pilot flew into the fog, he then turned south. However, he continued into more fog, so he turned east. When he came out of the fog, he did not have enough altitude to clear trees on top of mountainous terrain ahead. He clipped some trees with the landing gear and impacted on a hilltop, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90930
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 431-73
- Airframe hours
- 1,045
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2007 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- Rockport, CA
- Destination
- CIC · Chico, CA
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 165 total · 150 in this make and model · 165 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 0.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.