Piper PA-28-180 CFCNW

Summary

On 11 February 1995 at about 20:55 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered CFCNW was involved in an accident near Jamestown, California, 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

11 February 1995 at 20:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Jamestown, California, United States

Coordinates

37.8498, -120.4901

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

CFCNW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Columbia

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95FA103

1 person died.

the pilot's intentional flight into IMC conditions and subsequent in-flight loss of control due to spatial disorientation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON A HIGHWAY DUE TO A LOW FUEL STATE. THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, HE BOUGHT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL AND WAS GOING TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS ON THE SITE, WHEN THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM THE HIGHWAY, THE PREVAILING VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN 1,500 FEET. THE PILOT CIRCLED THE ACCIDENT AREA TWO TIMES BEFORE HE CRASHED ABOUT 0.3 MILE WEST OF THE DEPARTURE AREA. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENGINE SOUND ABRUPTLY CUT-OUT FOR ABOUT TWO SECONDS AND THEN WENT TO A HIGH- POWER ENGINE SOUND. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ABOUT 100 FEET NORTH OF SOME TELEPHONE WIRES. THE POSTACCIDENT WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED EVIDENCE OF HIGH POWER AT IMPACT AND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.