Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-28-151 N41455

24 July 1990 · Apple Valley, California, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 24 July 1990 at about 03:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-151 registered N41455 was involved in an accident near Apple Valley, 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.

The record

Date
at 03:15
Classification
Accident
Location
Apple Valley, California, United States
Nearest airport
Holiday Ranch (27CA)
Coordinates
34.5699, -117.1507
Aircraft
Piper PA-28-151
Registration
N41455
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Unknown → Rialto
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Dusk
NTSB number
LAX90FA265

People

2 people died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 2 0 0 0

Probable cause

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILUE OF THE PILOT TO CONFIGURE THE AIRCRAFT'S FLAPS FOR A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF, HIS IMPROPER USE OF STABILATOR TRIM, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, SOFT RUNWAY, AND TREES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT/OWNER ARRIVED ABT 1.5 HR BEFORE SUNSET TO TAKE DELIVERY OF THE ACFT AFTER IT WAS GIVEN A NEW PAINT JOB. NEWLY UPHOLSTERED FRONT SEATS WERE REINSTALLED & THE ACFT WAS PREFLTD & GIVEN AN ENG RUN-UP ON THE RAMP TO AVOID A RUN-UP OVER GRAVEL. THE PLT INITIATED A TAKEOFF ON RWY 34, WHICH WAS ONLY 1650' LONG. THE RWY SURFACE CONSISTED OF SOFT DIRT & SAND. A WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY & REACHED AN ALT OF ABT 30 FT. IT THEN SETTLED IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, COLLIDED WITH YUCCA TREES & BURNED AFTER COMING TO REST. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE DENSITY ALT AT THE ARPT WAS ABT 5700'; ABT 15 MI WEST AT GEORGE AFB, THE WIND WAS FM 200 DEG AT 12 KTS. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACDNT SITE ESTD THE WIND WAS FM THE SW AT 2 TO 5 KTS. THE STABILATOR TRIM WAS FND IN A FULL NOSE DOWN PSN. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. FLAPS WERE FND IN THE FULLY RETRACTED PSN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-28 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
12 Dec 1990 Piper PA-28-151
N4480F
Jupiter, Florida, United States Zimmerman, Barry L. No injuries -
24 Apr 1990 Piper PA-28-161
N2110D
Chandler, Arizona, United States Chandler Air Service No injuries -
13 Oct 1990 Piper PA-28-140
N5809U
Agua Dulce, California, United States R.i. Flying Club Serious injuries -
20 May 1990 Piper PA-28-181
N24PT
East Lansing, Michigan, United States J. J. Tiefenthaler Fatal 1
8 Apr 1990 Piper PA-28-140
N5628U
Forsyth, Montana, United States - Serious injuries -
3 Feb 1990 Piper PA-28-161
N473FT
Sebastian, Florida, United States FL Institute of Technology Fatal 1

All 9,402 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
15 Apr 1990 Cessna 180
N9394C
Soledad, California, United States - No injuries -
10 Oct 1990 Cessna 150
N68350
Riverside, California, United States PAR Flight No injuries -
17 Apr 1990 Piper PA46
N4387S
Paso Robles, California, United States Piper Aircraft Corp. No injuries -
7 Oct 1990 Cessna 182M
N70892
Bakersfield, California, United States - No injuries -
1 Apr 1990 Piper J-3
N7363H
Creston, California, United States - Minor injuries -
11 Oct 1990 Bell 47G4
N477JM
Merced, California, United States John W. Myers Serious injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States