- Date
- May 24, 1989, 14:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Dinsmore, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4527FPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890524013969A
- Case key
- 26230
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
The pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance. Contributing factors to the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain weather information, his overconfidence in his ability to fly in mountainous terrain in the existing weather conditions, the urgency to return for other planned activities, the existing weather conditions, and the mountainous terrain condition.
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 had contacted fss earlier in the day at 0640 and requested only current wx at eureka for a round-trip flt from lakeport to eureka & return. The flt departed eureka at about 1415 for the return flt. Witnesses observed the airplane flying very low in mountainous terrain; one witness stated '... He came up out of the fog at close to treetop level ...' The wx was described as low clouds, fog, and light rain. Wreckage was located in rising 4,900-FT mountainous terrain. Pilot typically flew near hwy 101 except during inclement wx when he would divert to the east & fly via hwy 36. He had a motor vehicle parked at ruth airport for use in instances of very poor wx. Pilot had another flt scheduled for 1500 at lakeport, and was also scheduled to teach school at 1800.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4527F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7790041
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack A. Fearnow
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EKA · Eureka, CA
- Destination
- 102 · Lakeport, 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
- 62
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACV, 48 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.