Piper PA-28R-180 N3836T

Summary

On 24 December 1994 at about 20:45 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N3836T, operated by Charles V. Pacini, was involved in an accident near Searchlight, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 December 1994 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Searchlight, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

39.4994, -118.2891

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N3836T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Charles V. Pacini

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder City → La Verne

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA060

1 person died.

the pilot's intentional continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. WITNESSES 1 MILE AWAY SAID THE WEATHER AT THE TIME CONSISTED OF RAIN SHOWERS AND VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO IN CLOUDS. THE PILOT OBTAINED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING IN WHICH VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, RAIN SHOWERS, RESTRICTED VISIBILITIES, AND ICING ALONG HIS PROJECTED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. AFTER THE BRIEFING, THE PILOT PHONED AN ASSOCIATE IN LOS ANGELES AND SAID HE WOULD TRY TO FLY SOUTH ALONG HIGHWAY 95 TO CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND THAT HE HAD TO STAY BELOW 5,000 MSL DUE TO THE FREEZING LEVEL. HIGHWAY 95 RUNS SOUTH FROM BOULDER CITY THROUGH THE ELDORADO MOUNTAINS. SEARCHLIGHT IS LOCATED IN A MOUNTAIN PASS AT THE HIGHEST POINT ALONG THE HIGHWAY. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS LOCATED ABOUT 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF SEARCHLIGHT AND 1/2 MILE EAST OF HIGHWAY 95. AT AN ELEVATION OF 4,200 FEET MSL, THE SITE IS 138 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. ON-SITE EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL OR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A ROCK OUTCROPPING IN NEAR-LEVEL FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.