- Date
- November 12, 1989, 21:40 local (Nov 13, 1989, 05:40 UTC)
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2723RPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891112046519A
- Case key
- 26602
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 IFR procedure by the pilot, and his failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude (mda) for that segment of the VOR approach. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, low ceiling, fog, haze, the pilot's lack of recent instrument experience, and his probable spatial disorientation.
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
Drg a night arrival, the plt contacted nas point mugu apch ctl & was clrd for a VOR rwy 26 apch. As the plt contd the apch, the acft veered radically off course to the right & dscndd prematurely. The ctlr issued a safety alert & told the plt to turn left to a heading of 210 deg & to climb & maint 2100 ft. the plt acknowledged, but failed to take adequate corrective action. Subsequently, the acft collided with mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 1100 ft, as it was apchg the final apch fix (faf). Min dscnt alt (mda) on that segment of the apch was 2100 ft MSL. Aprx 10 mi sw at point mugu (elev 12 ft), the 2155 PST wx was in part: 1000 ft ovc, 6 mi vis with fog & haze. The plt had been issued an instrument rating on 4/28/89. Since that date, he had logged only 5.5 hrs of instrument time & 4 instrument apchs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2723R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA-28R-35269
- Airframe hours
- 3,792
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frederick Steuer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1989 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CMA · Camarillo, runway 26, 6,010 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 320 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NTD, 10 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.