- Date
- June 21, 1991, 20:20 local (Jun 22, 1991, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Pacoima, CA
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8745NPiper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910621023469A
- Case key
- 27259
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 improper preflight planning/preparation and his failure to attain the proper altitude.
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 and his three passengers departed the airport in their aircraft which was estimated to be about 120 pounds over the certificated maximum gross weight. About 6 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft collided with mountainous terrain at about 4,200 feet mean sea level. On scene examination of the aircraft and its engine revealed no pre-existing mechanical problem. The aircraft's climb performance was calculated by an FAA operations inspector. He determined that the aircraft did not have the ability to depart the airport; fly directly to the accident location; and clear the mountainous terrain. One passenger stated that the aircraft's engine was running fine, but that the aircraft just could not clear the terrain. The pilot said that the engine failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8745N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2825561
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Earl J. Burnett
- Registered owner
- Earl J. Burnett
- Departed
- WHP · Whiteman, CA
- Destination
- P06 · Bullhead, AZ
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.