Piper PA-28R-180 N3904T

Summary

On 8 April 1995 at about 21:12 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N3904T, operated by S & S Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Pollack Pines, 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.

Date

8 April 1995 at 21:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Pollack Pines, California, United States

Coordinates

38.7409, -120.5706

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N3904T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

S & S Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bakersfield → So. Lake Tahoe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95FA157

4 people died.

The pilot's disregard of a hazardous weather advisory; his decision to fly into known adverse weather conditions; his failure to maintain control of the airplane with an accumulation of airframe ice; and his improper use of the flight controls during recovery from the inflight upset exceeding the airplane's stress limits. The adverse weather and airframe ice were factors in the accident.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THERE WAS NO RECORD THAT THE PILOT RECEIVED A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE FAA OR NWS SYSTEMS. THE PILOT TOLD THE OPERATOR HE CHANGED HIS DESTINATION DUE TO HIGH WINDS TO AN AREA WITH BETTER WEATHER. THE PILOT CHANGED HIS DESTINATION A SECOND TIME WITHOUT TELLING THE OPERATOR TO AN AIRPORT THAT WOULD REQUIRE CROSSING THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS. HIGH WINDS WERE ALSO FORECASTED FOR THE MOUNTAINS. A CENTER WEATHER WATCH WAS BROADCASTED BY APPROACH CONTROL, WHILE THE PILOT WAS ON THE FREQUENCY, FORECASTING MODERATE AND OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURBULENCE, STRONG UP-AND-DOWN DRAFTS, LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR, AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 KNOTS. THE CLOSEST WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION WAS UPWIND OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE STATION HAD TAKEN SIX SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATIONS IN ADDITION TO TWO SCHEDULED OBSERVATIONS DUE TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING UNCONTROLLED WITHOUT THE TAIL BY NUMEROUS WITNESSES. ICE WAS OBSERVED ON THE WINGS, IN AN INDUCTION HOSE, AND THE RAM AIR PORT OF THE PITOT STATIC SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.