- Date
- May 23, 1983, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Portola, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N882BFHerpst Varieze
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830523020739A
- Case key
- 23455
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 home built acft collided with trees & crashed on rising terrain while the plt & passenger were on a sight-seeing flt. The accident occurred at an elevation of 7000 ft, the density altitude was estimated to be aprx 10000 ft. the wreckage was scattered aprx 290 ft along a southerly direction. About 40 miles east of the crash site, the wind was from 360 deg at 10 KTS. The plt had been using automotive fuel in the eng. The owner's manual stated, 'auto gas, especially the high aeromatic content no-lead, should not be used.' No evidence of a preimpact structural failure was reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N882BF
- Reported as
- Herpst Varieze
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 882
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 D, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roland Gordon Herbst
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 3, 1983
- Departed
- 002 · Beckwourth, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 40 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.