Morane-Saulnier MS 880B N55BF

Summary

On 5 July 1998 at about 17:00 local time, a Morane-Saulnier MS 880B registered N55BF was involved in an accident near Trinity Center, 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

5 July 1998 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Trinity Center, California, United States

Coordinates

41.0495, -122.7792

Aircraft

Morane-Saulnier MS 880B

Registration

N55BF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Montague

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA223

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin while maneuvering in a mountainous area at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft impacted trees and terrain in a mountainous area about 30 minutes after takeoff. The wreckage was located in a rocky streambed about 35 feet wide which was surrounded by trees. The trees were approximately 50 feet high and came right up to the edge of the creek. There were tree limbs broken off a tree near the top just above and about 10 feet southeast of the impact site. There were no signs of disturbance on any of the other trees around the creek. The creek parallels a road which proceeds to a mountain pass about 2 miles to the north of the site. The debris was contained to an area within a few feet of the aircraft. The flaps were found set in the full-down position at 30 degrees. The fuel tanks were ruptured, but there was evidence of fuel found in the carburetor. The engine could not be turned due to extensive damage; however, no mechanical anomalies were found during disassembly. No discrepancies were found in any airframe system. The density altitude was calculated to be about 7,100 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.