- Date
- January 17, 1988, 00:52 local (08:52 UTC)
- Place
- Newhall, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N42450Cessna 182L
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880117000629A
- Case key
- 25804
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
Pilots decision to continue VFR flight after encountering instrument meteorological conditions.
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 pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing which presented a weather picture of mid level clouds, turbulence and good visibilities. Flight precautions were noted for coastal mountain obscurement due to low clouds. Rain showers and low ceilings were forcasted for the period about 8 hours after ETA of the flight. The accident site is at the southwestern end of a small valley where it narrows to a constricted pass which is surrounded by high coastal hills. Several witnesses reported that heavy rain, low clouds and visibilities of one half mile in fog were present in the valley. The aircraft was seen to fly down the valley at about 500 feet AGL over a highway. As the aircraft approached an oil refinery at the southwestern end, it was seen to suddenly turn to the right just before the refinery flame stack and collide with the top of a mountain ridge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42450
- Reported as
- Cessna 182L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18259021
- Airframe hours
- 3,948
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tin Star Flying Association
- Registered owner
- Tin Star Flying Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1988 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- P06 · Bullhead City, AZ
- Destination
- POC · La Verne, 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 95 in this make and model · 296 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.