- Date
- November 15, 1987, 18:15 local (Nov 16, 1987, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mexicali, Mexico
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2484BCessna 441
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 25790
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
A Cessna 441 operated by the uscs collided with terrain while on a authorized night tactical flight. The copilot did not meet the currency standards as required by uscs and was not qualified in the acft. The flight originated during the daylight hours and continued to astronomical twilight. The pilots did not dark adapt previous to the night conditions. Dark adaption was impeded by flight through various light conditions created by terrain and ambient light levels. With night vision impeded the pilot would not have been able to dinstinguish relief of the terrain. The acft collided with a small ridge that abruptly rose 300 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2484B
- Reported as
- Cessna 441
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 441-0112
- Airframe hours
- 1,461
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-8-4025, 635 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- U. S. Customs Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 5, 1987 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- NZY · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 68 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPL, 18 nm away