- Date
- February 16, 1992, 16:35 local (Feb 17, 1992, 00:35 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 7 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N60AWPiper PA-31T-II
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920216003099A
- Case key
- 27405
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 poor judgement in continuing visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, in mountainous terrain obscured by clouds. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing, the weather conditions, and the high mountainous terrain.
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 pilots had entered into an agreement with the 5 pax to fly them to a ski resort. The airplane owner stated that the PIC, who was the company pilot, did not have permission to use the airplane, nor did the owner know the pax. The airport at the ski resort is located in mountainous terrain at 6,750 ft MSL. There is no instrument approach. There is no record of any weather briefings. The airplane collided with terrain at about 6,580 ft MSL aprx 7.5 mi sw of the destination airport. Weather for the area was: mountains locally obscured 3000 to 5000 feet scattered to broken with tops to 9000, and widely scattered visibilities below 3 miles with snow and rain showers. Examination of the wreckage and impact site revealed the aircraft collided with the brush and snow covered 45 deg slope in a level left turn.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60AW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T-II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T-8020051
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-28, 620 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Andrew & Williamson Sales Co.
- Registered owner
- Andrew & Williamson Sales Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 7, 1991
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- L35 · Big Bear City, CA
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
- 58
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- L35, 8 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.