- Date
- October 28, 1990, 22:36 local (Oct 29, 1990, 06:36 UTC)
- Place
- Oceanside, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5052ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 6, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901028048499A
- Case key
- 26962
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 initiating an instrument flight without operating air/ground communications equipment, and his failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance after apparently deciding to return to the airport. Factors contributing to the accident were inoperative communications equipment resulting in the pilot's inability to establish communication with ATC, adverse weather conditions, and the dark night.
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 landed at Oceanside earlier in the day. The pilot had remarked that the airplane's comm radio was inoperative and that he was using a portable transceiver to communicate with ATC. After leaving the airport for dinner, the pilot also remarked that he had left the transceiver 'on' and that he was concerned about the radio's battery charge. At 2130 the pilot and his family was driven back to the airport for departure. The pilot contacted fss by telephone for a weather briefing and to file a flight plan. The pilot did not contact ATC after takeoff. The wreckage was located in a canyon 1/2 mile north of the airport. On-scene evidence disclosed that the airplane initially struck a ridge while in a right wing low, nose-down attitude on a heading of 080 degrees. This is consistent with a course reversal immediately after takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5052Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 228676
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vanderheide, Richard J.
- Destination
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- L32 · Oceanside Muni, runway 24, 3,061 × 75 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
- 40
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 834 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- NFG
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 N5052Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.