- Date
- May 5, 1992, 22:03 local (May 6, 1992, 05:03 UTC)
- Place
- Camarillo, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8408VPiper PA-32-301
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920505013329A
- Case key
- 27425
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 follow the published instrument missed approach procedure, and his failure to initiate a timely climb after being given a low altitude alert. Factors contributing to the accident were: the controller's failure to take positive action when drastic measures were required, the low ceiling, dark night, and surrounding 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 pilot was executing his third VOR rwy 26 apch following two earlier missed approaches. Inbound from the faf the airplane suddenly turned to a southerly direction, 90 deg left of the final apch course, descending thru 1,500 ft. at an altitude of 1,000 ft the plt reported executing a missed approach, and the altitude continued to decrease. The controller broadcasted a low altitude alert, and the plt responded he was climbing. The plt turned left to an easterly direction, and the altitude had lowered to 700 ft. the pilot was advised he was proceeding in the wrong direction, and the controller stated '...I suggest you ah reintercept the VOR final approach course if able.' The airplane impacted the mountain at 900 ft MSL, 6 mi east of the airport. The pllt lived 1 mi from the airport, and received his flight training from airports local to his residence. The pilot had earlier told his CFI that during a VOR apch to the airport at circling minimums he could not locate the arpt & elected to look for the arpt rather than execute a missed approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8408V
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-8106077
- Airframe hours
- 1,388
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hollis C. White
- Registered owner
- Hollis C. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 18, 1992 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- CNO · Chino, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CMA · Camarillo, runway 26, 6,010 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 365 total · 118 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CMA, 5 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.