Piper PA-28-161 N2529W

Summary

On 20 March 1999 at about 17:41 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N2529W, operated by Aerodrome Aircraft Rental, was involved in an accident near Lytle Creek, 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.

Date

20 March 1999 at 17:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Lytle Creek, California, United States

Coordinates

34.2506, -117.5406

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N2529W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aerodrome Aircraft Rental

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redlands → Agua Dulce

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99FA125

2 people died.

the pilot's inadvertent visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in impact with high terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot and student pilot passenger departed in visual flight conditions for a personal cross-country flight to another airport. The flight was to take them through a mountainous pass that was observed from the flight school office to be obscured in clouds. The flight school operator stated that while fueling the airplane they could see a storm coming and advised the pilot to stay over the highway and to avoid the clouds. He told the pilot if he inadvertently got into the clouds he was to make an immediate 180-degree turn back to where it was clear. A ground witness observed the airplane at the base of the clouds, where it banked left and flew from his view. He subsequently heard an impact noise. The witness relocated his position and was able to see the crash site. He hiked back to his vehicle and called authorities.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.