Piper PA-28RT-201 N3054N
19 August 1990 · Long Beach, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 19 August 1990 at about 22:26 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 registered N3054N, operated by Benbow Aviation, was involved in an accident near Long Beach, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 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 22:26
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Long Beach, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.7796, -118.1205
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201
- Registration
- N3054N
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Benbow Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Torrance → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90FA292
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE INADEQUATE VISUAL OUTLOOK OF THE PILOTS OF THE CESSNA 172P AND THEIR FAILURE TO SEE AND AVOID THE PIPER PA- 28RT-201. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE AZIMUTH AND ANGLE OF THE SUN WHICH WAS IN A POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TO IMPAIR THE SCAN OF THE CESSNA 172P PILOTS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A PIPER PA-28RT-201 AND A CESSNA 172P WERE FLYING PARALLEL WESTERLY COURSES ABOVE A JETTY WHICH FORMED A LINEAR GROUND REFERENCE OVER OPEN WATER. THE PIPER WAS TO THE LEFT OF THE CESSNA JUST PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. THE PIPER WAS CONFIGURED FOR SLOW FLIGHT WITH THE FLAPS EXTENDED AND LANDING GEAR DOWN. THE CESSNA FLAPS WERE RETRACTED AND THE CESSNA WAS FLYING FASTER THAN THE PIPER. THE CESSNA STRUCK THE PIPER'S OUTBOARD RIGHT WING TIP WITH THE LEFT WING STRUT SEVERING THE RIGHT WING TIP AND BENDING THE REMAINING OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE WING SPAR FORWARD. THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE PIPER'S RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED. THE AZIMUTH AND ANGLE OF THE SUN WAS TO THE LEFT AND TO THE FRONT OF BOTH AIRPLANES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-28RT-201 PA-28RT-20 | N3054N | Benbow Aviation | Destroyed |
| Cessna 172P 172P | N114RJ | - | Destroyed |
Other Piper PA-28RT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Marshfield, Massachusetts, United States | Shorelines Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1990 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Napa, California, United States | Iasco | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Alamosa, Colorado, United States | Lyons, Dean P. | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Durango, Colorado, United States | Western Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Palm Springs, California, United States | Tuomela, Clyde | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-28RT-201T | Red Lodge, Montana, United States | Frank, Robert E. | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1990 | Cessna 180 | Soledad, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1990 | Cessna 150 | Riverside, California, United States | PAR Flight | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1990 | Piper PA46 | Paso Robles, California, United States | Piper Aircraft Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1990 | Cessna 182M | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1990 | Piper J-3 | Creston, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1990 | Bell 47G4 | Merced, California, United States | John W. Myers | Serious injuries | - |