Piper PA-28-140 N55478

Summary

On 18 September 1988 at about 20:42 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N55478, operated by CAL State Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Big Bear, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 September 1988 at 20:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City (L35)

Coordinates

34.2601, -116.8401

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N55478

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

CAL State Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Bear → Long Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX88FA321

2 people died.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED DURING TAKEOFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITION, THE AIRCRAFT'S EXCESSIVE WEIGHT AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO LEAN THE MIXTURE. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION TO AFFECT RECOVERY FROM THE DEVELOPING STALL, HIS POOR JUDGEMENT, HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE, AND HIS IMPAIRED PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITION AS IT RELATED TO HIS LACK OF SLEEP AND DRUG USE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE PLT & 2 PAX WENT GAMBLING. THEY RETIRED FOR THE EVENING (MORNING) BETWEEN 0315 & 0400. THEY AWOKE AT ABOUT 0830. AT 1007 THEY FLEW FM BULLHEAD, AZ TO BIG BEAR, CA. WHEN THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO DEPART FM THE BIG BEAR ARPT HE LEFT THE MIXTURE CONTROL IN THE FULL RICH POSITION. AS THE ACFT TRANSITIONED OUT OF GROUND EFFECT IT STALLED. THE PLT HELD THE YOKE AFT AS THE ACFT ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT & CRASHED 1880 FT BEYOND THE RUNWAY'S END. THE FRONT RIGHT SEATED PAX VIDEO TAPED THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE 93-HR TOTAL TIME PLT HAD 33-HRS IN MAKE & MODEL ACFT. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF HIM HAVING RECEIVED DUAL INSTRUCTION IN HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE TAKEOFFS. THE DA WAS IN EXCESS OF 8500 FT. THE ACFT'S CERTIFICATED MAX GROSS WEIGHT WAS EXCEEDED. A BOX CONTAINING MARIJUANA WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT WRECKAGE. TOX RESULTS CONFIRMED MARIJUANA IN THE PLT'S BLOOD & IN THE CAMERMAN/PAX'S URINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.