Rockwell 112B N1232J

Summary

On 16 September 1989 at about 21:40 local time, a Rockwell 112B registered N1232J was involved in an accident near La Grange, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 September 1989 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

La Grange, California, United States

Nearest airport

Mariposa (068)

Coordinates

37.6608, -120.4495

Aircraft

Rockwell 112B

Registration

N1232J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

S Lake Tahoe → Burbank

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89FA304

2 people died.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. RELATED FACTORS WERE: FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE PILOT, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CAPABILITIES.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

BEFORE DEPG ON THE ACDNT FLT, THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED OF RAIN SHOWERS ALONG HIS ENTIRE ROUTE. ALSO, HE WAS WARNED OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT ALL OF CALIFORNIA. HE FILED A VFR FLT PLAN & TOOK OFF. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE ACTIVATED THE FLT PLAN, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACFT. ABOUT 1 HR LATER, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE. AS THE ACFT APCHD A SIGN, IT WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A CLIMB & DISAPPEAR IN A LOW CLOUD LAYER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT WAS OBSERVED BY ANOTHER WITNESS IN A DIVE AS IT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLOUDS. MOMENTS LATER, THE ACFT CRASHED IN A LAKE. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED THE WATER WITH VERY HIGH VELOCITY. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT HAD ONLY ABOUT 3 HRS OF INSTRUMENT FLT TIME. WITNESSES RPRTD THUNDERSTORMS & LIGHTNING IN THE AREA; THEY ESTIMATED THERE WAS ABOUT A 500 FT OBSCURATION WITH 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, BLOWING RAIN & WIND FROM 135 DEG AT 15 GUSTING 20 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.