- Date
- May 8, 1982, 06:16 local (13:16 UTC)
- Place
- Burbank, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8007JSmith Aerostar 600
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820508014349A
- Case key
- 70082
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 aircraft departed into IFR conditions with a non-instrument rated pilot in the left front seat and his wife, an instrument rated pilot, in the right front seat. After the pilot reported climbing through 2800 ft MSL, the radar controller observed that the aircraft deviated from the course and began to lose altitude. He attempted to communicate with the pilot, but was unable. Witnesses observed the aircraft maneuver in and out of the overcast. Two witnesses watched it change course to the right from southeast to northwest, pull up into the overcast, then dive out of the clouds in a near vertical attitude and crash. During an examination of the wreckage, no preimpact, mechanical failures were found. The aircraft was designed to be flown in instrument conditions from only the left front seat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8007J
- Reported as
- Smith Aerostar 600
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 60-0493-160
- Airframe hours
- 709
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-KIJ5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Judith Gill Wagner
- Registered owner
- Judith Gill Wagner
- Departed
- BUR · Burbank, CA
- Destination
- Farmington, NV
- Airport
- BUR · Burbank, runway 15, 6,920 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 136 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BUR, 3 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.