- Date
- March 26, 1992, 16:45 local (Mar 27, 1992, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lebec, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4335NPiper PA 28-236
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920326009949A
- Case key
- 27413
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 delayed inflight decision to reverse course to avoid forecast adverse weather conditions. Contributing to the accident was icing conditions and lightning.
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
About 30 min before the accident, the plt received an in-flt wx brief from en route flight advisory service (efas). The plt indicated to the efas that he received an AIRMET regarding icing conditions along his route. The plt was then briefed on thundershowers, frequent lightning cloud to gnd, and plt reports of mod turb and lt mixed icing. The plt continued on his flt route and 25 min after his wx briefing reported airframe icing conditions to ATC. ATC advised the plt of more severe wx ahead and recommended the lt reverse course. Less than one min later, the plt reported being struck by lightning. ATC amended the plt's clearance instructing him to reverse course with a left turn heading 330 deg. The plt read back the clearance. Afterwards both radar and radio contact was lost. Radar data revealed the airplane entered a left turn and climbed 200 ft. the airplane then descended about 1,200 ft in 35 seconds. The accident airplane was not equipped with de-icing systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4335N
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-236
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 84 11007
- Airframe hours
- 1,131
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- N V Corporation
- Registered owner
- N V Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1992 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,181 total · 62 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 40 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.