- Date
- August 4, 1984, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Julian, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5516KBellanca 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840804068019A
- Case key
- 23986
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
After takeoff several 360 deg climbing turns were made to gain alt to clear the mountain ridge. The ridge was approached at 4800 ft MSL with the plt expecting a thermal lift over the 5500 ft level which had been encountered many times before. At 4800 ft MSL the second plt stated 'we aren't going to make it.' The nose of the acft pitched down and before remedial action could be taken, the acft entered a 2000 fpm verticle descent contacting the 4100 ft MSL terrain at 53 mph. The OAT on the day of the accident was 108 degs f.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5516K
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1252-78
- Airframe hours
- 1,364
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W. & Janis F. Porter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1984 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- L08 · Borrego Springs, CA
- Destination
- SEE · El Cajon, 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 590 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE, 23 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.