LAX93FAMS2

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-181 · Missing Acft, CA · December 6, 1992

Accident · FatalMissing aircraftFinal report
Date
December 6, 1992, 12:14 local (20:14 UTC)
Place
Missing Acft, CA
Injuries
4 fatal
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Unknown
Aircraft
N81453Piper PA-28-181
Weather
Day
Status
Completed · report September 28, 1993
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19921206049479A
Case key
27834

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

Undetermined.

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.

Missing aircraftUnknown
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause

Analysis

On December 6, 1992 at 1054 hours, the pilot telephoned riverside, California FAA flight service station (fss) and requested a weather briefing for his intended flight from his departure airfield to his destination. The fss briefer told the pilot that visual flight rules flights were not recommended from his intended departure location to his destination. The pilot asked if the weather was going to improve or get worse. The fss briefer said the weather would continually get worse throughout the day. The pilot decided to go ahead with his planned flight. The pilot, with his 3 passengers aboard, was cleared for takeoff at 1203 hours. The pilot contacted FAA departure control and received advisories until radar service was terminated at 1214 hours. No further transmissions were recorded from the pilot. When the airplane and its occupants did not arrive at its destination family members notified local authorities. A search was unsuccessful. The damage and injury classification are presumed.

Aircraft

Registration
N81453
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-8090216
Airframe hours
3,851
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
West Valley Flying Club
Registered owner
Garry E. Abel
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · October 2, 1992 · 75 hours before
Departed
SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
Destination
PAO · Palo Alto, 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
31
Certificates
Private, Foreign
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
260 total · 25 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Day
Wind
100° at 13 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,800 ft overcast
Temperature
55 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
SBA, 1 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.