- Date
- June 7, 1991, 10:21 local (17:21 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8272JVarga 2150A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910607020419A
- Case key
- 27006
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
An inflight collision with terrain for undetermined reasons.
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
While on a local flight the pilot declared an emergency, reporting that he smelled oil and the cockpit was heating up. After radio contact was lost, a search located the airplane crashed into a rocky hill. The airplane struck the hill at high rate of speed in a slight nose and left wing low attitude. An open, grass covered field surrounded the hill. No mechanical malfunctions/failures of the engine or airframe were found. The pilot had been taking medication for several years for headaches which were not reported to the FAA. Eleven months prior to the accident, the pilot had surgery for lung cancer. Three months prior to the accident, the cancer reoccurred in the pilot's brain. The pilot declined radiation therapy and relied on medication therapy. Four days prior to the accident, the pilot reported weakness and lack of energy and was advised to increase his medication. The pilot continued to fly while being treated for his illness.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8272J
- Reported as
- Varga 2150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- VAC-118-79
- Airframe hours
- 1,113
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Parker, Claron E.
- Registered owner
- Parker, Claron E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 1991 · 24 hours before
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 830 total · 256 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LVK, 7 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.