- Date
- March 27, 1982, 12:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Morgan Hill, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9455KStinson 108-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820327006129A
- Case key
- 71765
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 pilot was observed making repeated low passes in the vicinity of the crash site. This was also close to the home of one of the passengers. The final pass was made in a westerly direction over a dam at about 50 ft AGL. Just beyond the dam, the pilot made a steep climb to avoid a knoll or Hill. Coming out of this maneuver, he headed south at a slow speed, directly into a boxed or blind canyon. He made a 180 degree turn within the confines of the canyon and crashed into trees just after coming out of the turn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9455K
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10824551
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Doug D. Higbee
- Registered owner
- Doug D. Higbee
- Departed
- San Hose, 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 136 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.