Thorp T211 N91313
4 July 2000 · Grass Valley, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 July 2000 at about 18:45 local time, a Thorp T211 registered N91313 was involved in an accident near Grass Valley, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Grass Valley, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.1791, -120.9793
- Aircraft
- Thorp T211
- Registration
- N91313
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Auburn → Alta Vista
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX00LA250
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot encountered a mountain wave at an altitude too low to maintain clearance from trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was cruising the local area about 1,000 feet agl, at 2,500 rpm, when the airplane suddenly started to descend. Although he hadn't noticed any evidence of strong winds, he was on the lee side of a peak. He turned to avoid the wind shear and applied full power, but his descent continued. The airplane collided with 100-feet tall trees after he maneuvered to avoid hitting one straight on with the cabin area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2000 | Piper PA-30 | Davis, California, United States | Travis AFB Aeroclub | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2000 | Cessna 150H | Corona, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 2000 | Cessna 182L | Coulterville, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 31 May 2000 | Cessna 152 | Palm Springs, California, United States | The FLT School At Palm Springs | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Nov 2000 | Cessna 340A | Selma, California, United States | Yecny Enterprises, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Feb 2000 | Cessna 172N | Palm Springs, California, United States | Bermuda Dunes Air Service | Minor injuries | - |