- Date
- February 4, 1990, 16:04 local (Feb 5, 1990, 00:04 UTC)
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8620NPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900204001569A
- Case key
- 26731
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 inadequate removal of ice from the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizer prior to takeoff.
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 reported encountering prop RPM problems which deteriorated the airplane's climb performance and he elected to land in a rough/uneven field. Ground witnesses reported that the airplane staggered into the air in ground effect and then crashed. The witnesses also stated that upon their arrival at the accident site, the airplane's wings, fuselage, and empennage were covered with ice that appeared to have melted and refrozen. The plt reported that he had removed ice before departing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8620N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7140012
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nathaniel, Sheldon J.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MMH · Mammoth Lakes, runway 27, 7,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- MMH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8620N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.