Piper PA-44-180 N2157P
28 October 1996 · Indio Hills, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 28 October 1996 at about 02:37 local time, a Piper PA-44-180 registered N2157P, operated by Candance A. Larned ENT. Inc., was involved in an accident near Indio Hills, 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 02:37
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Indio Hills, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.8296, -116.2901
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180
- Registration
- N2157P
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Candance A. Larned ENT. Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Goodyear → Long Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX97FA027
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's spatial disorientation which led to a loss of aircraft control, and exceeding the aircraft's structural design limits after the aircraft had entered a descending spiral. The pilot's lack of instrument flight currency and the dark night were factors in the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was flight following with ATC when controllers noticed that the aircraft began an unannounced turn and subsequent rapid descent. Radar data showed the aircraft entering a decreasing radius turn with an increasing rate of descent until radar coverage was lost. Clouds near the accident site ranged from broken to overcast with possible icing conditions at the cruising altitude. The wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer separated during the descent. An examination of the fractures found no evidence of preexisting cracking or damage. Witnesses near the crash site reported the night was very dark. The pilot had been instrument rated for several years, but there was no evidence that he was maintaining currency. The coroner reported finding clinical evidence of diabetes mellitus, a disqualifying medical condition.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 1996 | Piper PA-44-180 | Redlands, California, United States | M. I. Air Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 1996 | Piper PA-44 | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Feb 1997 | Piper PA-44-180T | Caldwell, New Jersey, United States | Wagner Airways | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Sep 1995 | Piper PA-44-180 | Columbia, South Carolina, United States | Matthias Dahlheim | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-44-180 | The Dalles, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 1998 | Piper PA-44-180 | Howell, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1996 | Maule M-6-235 | Bishop, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1996 | Cessna 210A | Truckee, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1996 | Cessna 152 | Santa Paula, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1996 | Piper PA-28-140 | Plymouth, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1996 | Cessna T210M | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1996 | Cessna 172L | Napa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |