- Date
- April 21, 1985, 00:00 local (08:00 UTC)
- Place
- Castaic, CA
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9406WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850421016189A
- Case key
- 24494
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Weather condition - cloudsFactor
Planning/decision - poorCause
Weather condition - obscurationFactor
Flight into known adverse weather - continuedCause
Preflight briefing service - disregardedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Judgment - poorCause
Analysis
The pilot requested and received a weather briefing for the cross country flight. VFR flight was not recommended due to multiple cloud layers and mountain obscurement. The wreckage was located the following morning at the 3,500 foot elevation in mountainous terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9406W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-11112
- Airframe hours
- 2,239
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4135, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Oris L. Elder
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 068 · Mariposa, CA
- Destination
- POC · La Verne, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 178 total · 97 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- WJF, 25 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.