Piper PA-28-161 N4342B

Summary

On 10 October 1987 at about 03:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N4342B was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 October 1987 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Coordinates

35.2510, -120.6209

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N4342B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Jose → San Luis Obispo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX88LA011

Nobody was 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 NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED WHEN HE INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO A LAYER OF FOG WHILE MAKING AN ENROUTE DESCENT FOR LANDING AT HIS DESTINATION. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXECUTE A CLIMBING COURSE REVERSAL. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE APPROACH HE LOST CONTACT WITH ALL GROUND LIGHTS AND ENTERED A SHARP BANK IN AN EFFORT TO TURN AROUND AND CLIMB. 'THE ABRUPT MANEUVERS AND TOTAL LACK OF GROUND REFERENCE CAUSED ME TO BECOME DISORIENTED.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.