- Date
- October 5, 1989, 17:14 local (Oct 6, 1989, 00:14 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3063TPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891005038879A
- Case key
- 26593
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
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, and his failure to follow wake turbulence avoidance procedures, which resulted in a vortex turbulence encounter. A factor related to the accident was: the pilot's failure to assure the aircraft was loaded within its weight and balance limitations.
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 Piper PA-28 plt entered left traffic to land on rwy 12 in winds that were variable at 6 KTS. The rwy was 8500' long, but it had a 1200' displaced threshold. At abt the same time, a Boeing 727 (Alaska flt 192) was on an apch to land on the same rwy. The twr ctlr adzd the PA-28 plt of the other traffic & cautioned him abt wake turbulence. The PA-28 was abeam the apch end of the rwy on a close downwind as flt 192 landed. The PA-28 plt was clrd to land & he entered an 'immediate steep bank and descending turn.' Rprtdly, the PA-28 was maneuvered onto final apch abt 100' to 200' AGL, then it began oscillating excessively & crashed. No preimpact mechanical problem was evident. A weight & balance computation showed the PA-28 was abt 150 lbs over its max gross weight limitation & the CG was 3.86 inches behind the aft limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3063T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7931089
- Airframe hours
- 4,721
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-F8, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tuomela, Clyde
- Registered owner
- Tuomela, Clyde H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 1989 · 273 hours before
- Departed
- CLR · Calipatria, CA
- Destination
- PSP
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs, runway 12, 8,500 × 150 ft, dirt
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,665 total · 877 in this make and model · 1,665 as pilot in command · 164 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.