Piper PA-28R-180 N7497J

Summary

On 8 March 1982 at about 16:10 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N7497J, operated by CAL Air Charter, was involved in an accident near Captinteria, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

8 March 1982 at 16:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Captinteria, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N7497J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

CAL Air Charter

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oxford → Santa Maria

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX82FUQ10

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD SOME HEAD CONGESTION AND HAD EXPERIENCED EAR DISCOMFORT ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO FLY THE SECOND LEG OF THE FLIGHT IN A CANYON THAT HE THOUGHT WOULD ALLOW PASSAGE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AT LOW ALTITUDE. HOWEVER, THE SELECTED CANYON GRADUALLY NARROWED AND THE TERRAIN ROSE AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE AIRCRAFT COULD CLIMB. BY THE TIME HE REALIZED THE SITUATION, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT AIRSPACE TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN. THE AIRCRAFT BRUSHED THE TOPS OF A FEW TREES BEFORE CRASHING IN THE CANYON. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 4000 FT MSL. THE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLIMB TO ABOVE 5000 FT TO GET OUT OF THE CANYON. LESS THEN 100 LBS OF CARGO WAS ON BOARD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.