- Date
- May 26, 1983, 22:50 local (May 27, 1983, 05:50 UTC)
- Place
- Norco, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N54363Piper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830526025609A
- Case key
- 23456
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 student plt had flown to the riverton arpt to attend a ground school. Reportedly, prior to his departure at aprx 2235 PDT, stars were visible overhead, but the horizontal visibility was poor & there was a haze layer at about 500 ft AGL. At aprx 2250, a witness near the crash site observed the white & green lights of the acft just prior to impact. He reported hearing the constant sound of the eng before the acft crashed. Due to darkness & reduced visibility, the wreckage was not found until the next day. An investigation revealed that the acft had impacted in a ravine, surrounded by high terrain. Impact had occurred in a steep descent with the right wing down. Aprx 9 mi northwest of the crash site, the weather was reportedly obscured, 2 mile visibility with fog, temp/dew point 60 deg, wind 240 deg at 6 KTS. Prior to the flt, the student was cautioned about flying in reduced visibility, but he responded, 'it's ok, I've got over 50 hrs.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54363
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-741504B
- Airframe hours
- 2,213
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reinaldo E. Ruiz
- Registered owner
- See Aircraft Sec. Of Narrative
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1982 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- RAL · Riverside, CA
- Destination
- L66 · Corona, CA
- Airport
- RAL · Riverside Muni, runway 27, 5,400 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 47 total · 31 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 9 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.