- Date
- March 19, 2022, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alpine, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N42764Piper PA-28-151
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220319003999A
- Case key
- 104898
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 clearance from rising terrain while operating in a canyon, which resulted in an impact with terrain
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, he entered a valley and descended to an altitude of about 300 to 500 ft above the ground. As the pilot began a climb to clear an upcoming ridgeline, he realized that the airplane would not clear the terrain despite making S-turns and adjusting to best rate of climb airspeed. Subsequently, he initiated an emergency landing and the airplane impacted terrain in a level attitude, which substantially damaged the left wing and underside of the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42764
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7415399
- Built
- 1974
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skinner Colin C
- Registered owner
- Skinner Colin C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SEE · El Cajon, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 7, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 134.4 total · 37 in this make and model · 134.4 as pilot in command · 10.2 in the last 90 days · 10.2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE, 18.2 nm away
- METAR
- 19/03/2022 23:47->METAR KSEE 192347Z 28008KT 10SM SKC 17/10 A2998=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.