LAX94FA048

During a cross-country flight, the aircraft crossed high mountainous terrain where areas of rain and snow showers were reported. Airmets had been issued for turbulence, mountain obscuration, and icing conditions. Satellite images revealed the presence of standing lenticular clouds. A weather briefing was not obtained and no flight plan was filed. No voice communications were received from the aircraft and no in-flight services were being provided by the FAA. Radar data indicated that the airplane made several maneuvering turns and a rapid descent before radar contact was lost. The airplane experienced an in-flight breakup and was scattered over a 3/4-mile area. A trajectory study indicated that the location of the separated airplane components was consistent with a breakup altitude of 14,000 feet.

History of Flight

On November 12, 1993, about 1117 hours Pacific standard time, a Beech V-35, N630AW, registered to and operated by the pilot, experienced an in-flight breakup, about 25 miles northeast of Shaver Lake, California. The airplane was destroyed. The certificated private pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight to Death Valley Monument Airport when the accident occurred. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the accident area at the time. A flight plan was not filed.

The flight originated at Reid-Hillview Municipal airport, San Jose, California, about 0951 hours. After departure, the pilot was given a frequency change as he exited the airport traffic area. There was no further voice communication with the pilot. The flight was expected to arrive in Death Valley about 1100 hours. On November 13, 1993, the flight was reported as overdue.

National Track and Analysis Program (NTAP) radar data from the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) was reviewed and a plot of the accident area was prepared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airplane was not radar identified and the pilot was not receiving traffic advisories from the FAA. Radar data in the vicinity of the accident site was plotted from 1101:41 to 1121:40 hours. Radar data points from 1110:17 to 1117:38 hours were consistent with the location of the accident airplane.

At 1110:17 hours, the airplane was at 15,700 feet. The radar track was oriented on a northeasterly heading. As the flight continued to the northeast, the altitude continued to climb to 17,300 feet, and the radar track indicated a "U" turn toward the west. At 1117:26 hours, the NTAP indicated an altitude of 17,100 feet and the airplane turned back to the northwest. At 1117:38 hours, the last radar return indicated an altitude of 16,500 feet.

Search personnel located an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal from the airplane on November 15, 1993. The wreckage was located at about 1545 hours, about 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl).

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at latitude 37 degrees 20.9 minutes N and longitude 118 degrees 51.2 minutes W.

Crew Information

The front seats of the airplane were both occupied by certificated pilots. No evidence was found that indicated who was manipulating the aircraft controls at the time of the accident.

The occupant of the left front seat (first pilot) held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The most recent third-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on September 10, 1991, and contained no limitations. A third-class medical certificate is valid until the end of the 24th month of the date of issuance.

No personal flight records were recovered for the first pilot, and the aeronautical experience listed on page 6 of this report was obtained from a review of the FAA airman records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City. On the pilot's application for an FAA medical certificate on September 10, 1991, the pilot reported having accrued 600 flight hours, with 100 hours accumulated in the previous 6 months.

The occupant of the right front seat (second pilot) also held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. The most recent third-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on January 6, 1993, and contained no limitations.

No personal flight records were recovered for the second pilot and the aeronautical experience listed in Supplement E of this report was obtained from a review of the FAA airman records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center. On the pilot's application for an FAA medical certificate on January 6, 1993, the pilot reported having accrued 140 hours. No flight hours were indicated in the previous 6 months.

Aircraft Information

The airplane was originally manufactured as a model V-35TC which had a Continental TSIO-520-D engine installed as original equipment. On February 28, 1984, the airplane had accumulated 2,616.7 hours and, on that date, the engine was removed and replaced with a Continental IO-520-BA. The original logbooks were lost and a new record was initiated when the engine was changed. With the engine change, the airplane reverted to a model V-35. The manufacturer reported that the service ceiling for a model V-35 is 17,500 feet.

Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the airplane had accrued a total time in service of 3,207.95 flight hours. On February 5, 1992, the airplane was given an annual inspection and found to be unairworthy. The unairworthy items were listed as a fuel leak in the left wing, unsafe rudder and aileron rigging, ruddervator cable chafing, pitot heat inoperative, and a deteriorating induction inlet coupler duct. On April 1, 1992, the unairworthy items were repaired and the airplane was returned to service. At that time, the airplane had accrued 3,070.69 flight hours, 76.34 hours before the accident.

The engine had accrued a total time in service of 2,778.51 hours of operation. The maintenance records note that a major overhaul was accomplished on February 28, 1984, 591.51 hours of operation before the accident. An annual inspection was accomplished on the date specified above for the airframe.

Meteorological Information

The closest official weather observation station is Mammoth-June Lakes Airport, elevation 7,128 feet msl, which is located 16 nautical miles north of the accident site. At 1147 hours, a surface observation was reporting in part:

Sky condition and ceiling, estimated 1,500 feet overcast; visibility, 8 miles; temperature, 30 degrees F; dew point, 20 degrees F; wind, 210 degrees at 8 knots; altimeter, 29.98 inHg; remarks, mountain tops obscured all quadrants.

An automated weather observation station (AWOS) is also located at the Mammoth-June Lakes Airport. At 1101 hours, the AWOS was reporting:

Temperature, 31 degrees F; dew point, 20 degrees F; wind 240 degrees at 12 knots; altimeter, 29.79 inHg.

Bishop, California, elevation 4,145 feet msl, is located 23 nautical miles east of the accident site. At 1050 hours, a surface observation was reporting in part:

Sky condition and ceiling, estimated ceiling, 2,000 feet overcast; visibility, 10 miles in light snow; temperature, 36 degrees F; dew point, 32 degrees F; wind, 020 degrees at 15 knots; altimeter, 29.79 in Hg.

A National Transportation Safety Board meteorologist conducted a study of the accident area weather conditions. At 1000 hours, a surface weather map prepared by the National Weather Service (NWS) depicted a center of low pressure over southeastern Nevada. A cold front extended from the low, southwest to the San Diego, California area. A secondary trough extended from the low westward to the vicinity of Paso Robles, California. The weather system was moving eastward and extended across the central portions of California and Nevada.

An Aviation Area Forecast, valid until 1600 hours, was reporting extensive low clouds and precipitation across California. For the San Joaquin Valley scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast skies at 4,000 feet, with visibility 3 to 5 miles in fog were expected. Widely scattered light rain showers, thunderstorms with light rain showers, were forecast, possibly in lines and/or clusters. Mountain areas were forecasted to have skies of 8,000 feet scattered, 12,000 feet broken, occasionally 8,000 feet overcast. Scattered light rain showers and/or snow showers were expected with the tops of the clouds layered to 24,000 feet.

Additionally, the area forecast was reporting that from Vandenberg Air Force Base to China Lake to 60 miles northwest of Bishop, California, widely scattered areas of light rain showers and thunderstorms, possibly in lines and/o