- Date
- May 29, 1988, 07:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pinecrest, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1259TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880529016229A
- Case key
- 25836
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 through a mountain area 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 accident site was located at the north east end of a large valley in the sierra Nevada mountains where the valley branches into two smaller valleys. The northern branch leads to a pass and the southern one into a box canyon area. The site is on a plateau at the 7,300 ft MSL level. Witnesses reported that heavy snow showers with 'near blizzard like condiitons' existed at the time of the crash. A helicopter crew said the bases of the overcast clouds were 6,300 ft MSL. The non-instrument rated pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to departure for the cross country flight to attend a family event in Nevada. The witnesses heard the aircraft circling in the snow showers prior to the sound of impact. The aircraft collided with two large pine trees near the edge of the plateau.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1259T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7225440
- Airframe hours
- 3,752
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon, Joseph L., Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1988 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- O36 · Tracy, CA
- Destination
- O43 · Yerington, NV
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,150 total · 300 in this make and model · 4,100 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.