- Date
- October 23, 1987, 04:23 local (11:23 UTC)
- Place
- Fairfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N828FECessna 208A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871023060669A
- Case key
- 25784
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's encounter with severe turbulence which precipitated a loss of aircraft control.
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
While cruising on a scheduled cargo flight in IMC the pilot encountered moderate to severe turbulence near an area where weather cells could have been observed on the aircraft's radar. The pilot reversed course, declared an emergency and lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, collided with terrain and was destroyed. The recently hired pilot had completed the FAA approved ground and flight training program in the aircraft. During the pilot's recent training, neither the FAA nor the operator required the pilot to demonstrate proficiency in unusual attitude recoveries or have knowledge in the operation of the aircraft's weather radar. Company employees, which included the pilot's husband, stated that the pilot had no previous experience with weather radar and did not understandthe weather radar installed in this aircraft. They further stated that the pilot appeared to be tired.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N828FE
- Reported as
- Cessna 208A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20800073
- Airframe hours
- 1,721
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-114, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Union Flights
- Registered owner
- Federal Express Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 12, 1987 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,495 total · 642 in this make and model · 10,291 as pilot in command · 156 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUU, 4 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.