- Date
- April 12, 1992, 19:37 local (Apr 13, 1992, 02:37 UTC)
- Place
- Placerville, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2968RPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920412009649A
- Case key
- 27420
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane and his improper use of the flight controls which endured airframe loads that exceeded the aircraft's design stress limits. Factors which contributed to the accident related to the pilot's encounter with turbulence, and to his lack of recent instrument flying experience.
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 received a weather briefing during which he was informed that moderate turbulence may be encountered along the route. The pilot filed an instrument flight plan, received his clearance and took off without mishap. No communication or navigation difficulities were reported during the airplane's climb to 11,000 feet. While en route, the pilot likely encountered the forecast turbulence. The radar track plot shows the airplane initially on course. After several minutes, the airplane entered a right spiral descending turn. At 19:35:58 the airplane was at 11,100 feet. At 19:36:53 the airplane was at 3,100 feet and had completed at least one 360 degree turn. Portions of the airplane's right wing and stabilator assembly were found about one mile from the main wreckage. No evidence was found of the pilot having recently completed a bfr. During the previous year he had logged about 6.9 instrument hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2968R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-35353
- Airframe hours
- 2,885
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-CIC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Neil W. Clark
- Registered owner
- Neil W. Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1991 · 107 hours before
- Departed
- MYV · Marysville, CA
- Destination
- MMH · Mammoth, CA
- Flight plan
- 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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,100 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MHR, 25 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.