Piper PA-24-260 N9240P

Summary

On 12 February 1989 at about 23:43 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N9240P was involved in an accident near Julian, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 February 1989 at 23:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Julian, California, United States

Coordinates

33.0210, -116.4902

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N9240P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89FA106

3 people died.

THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT OF INTENTIONALLY FLYING INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY BY ATTEMPTING FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT FIRST FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN BEFORE OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING. LIGHT TO MODERATE RIME ICING WAS FORECAST FROM 5,000 TO 16,000 FT. AT 1541 THE ARTCC CONTROLLER NOTICED THE MODE C ALTITUDE REPORT WAS 1,300 FT LOWER THAN THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 10,000 FT, AND DESCENDING. THE PILOT RESPONDED TO THE CONTROLLER'S INQUIRY THAT 'I CANNOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE'. AT 1543 RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. AN AIRLINE FLIGHT REPORTED PICKING UP MODERATE RIME ICE WHILE FLYING IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. A GROUND WITNESS REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT A THUNDERSTORM WAS OVERHEAD, ACCOMPANIED BY LIGHTNING, THUNDER, HAIL, AND MODERATE SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS. THE WITNESS ALSO HEARD A LOUD 'WINDING UP ENGINE SOUND FOLLOWED BY A LARGE BANG'. THE LAST PITOT STATIC SYSTEM TEST AND CALIBRATION WAS RECORDED ON 7/8/86. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED ABOUT 44 HRS DUAL INSTRUMENT TRAINING DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 1986.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.