- Date
- May 20, 1984, 11:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N30298Piper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840520017579A
- Case key
- 24270
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 plt flew to catalina island, then flew northwest along the north side of the island. He stated that he then made a climbing left turn over the island from about 500 ft MSL, but encountered a downdraft at 1000 ft MSL, which slowed the acft below the automatic gear lowering speed. Subsequently, the acft collided with trees at about 1400 ft MSL. Ground witness reported the acft was flying low over the ground prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30298
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7885084
- Airframe hours
- 1,721
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Setac Investment Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1984 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- SNA · Santa Ana, 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 47 in this make and model · 546 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.