- Date
- February 27, 1990, 11:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Yountville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8359HPiper PA28-201T
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900227002939A
- Case key
- 26617
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 used poor judgement by attempting a v.f.r. flight to an area with forecasted instrument meteorological conditions and continuing the flight when I.f.r. conditions were encountered.
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 noninstrument rated plt called flt service a day before the accident and requested and received an IFR briefing for the accident flight. The wx briefer provided the plt with the briefing which consisted of IFR conditions at the destination airport area which included the accident site. Gnd witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering in the accident area before it entered into the 500 ft ceiling stratus clouds. The prevailing visibility was less than 1 mile. The engine sound increased rapidly when the airplane entered the clouds abt 2 seconds before it collided with the side of the hill. The acft examination disclosed that it struck the hillside in a level flt attitude; the propeller blades and hub assy showed damage characteristics consistent with high power being developed at impact. No preexisting malfunctions and/or failures were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8359H
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-201T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R8131100
- Airframe hours
- 649
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB1, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Fraser, Robert G.
- Registered owner
- John E. Jansheski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1989 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- S21 · Sunriver, OR
- Destination
- CA35 · San Rafael, CA
- Airport
- APC · Nape
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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 395 total · 140 in this make and model · 335 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.