Beechcraft V-35A N156U

Summary

On 30 June 2002 at about 17:59 local time, a Beechcraft V-35A registered N156U was involved in an accident near Ojai, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2002 at 17:59

Classification

Accident

Location

Ojai, California, United States

Coordinates

34.5583, -119.4689

Aircraft

Beechcraft V-35A

Registration

N156U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Oceano

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02FA211

3 people died.

the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and failure to maintain an adequate terrain clearance altitude within the canyon.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering through a box canyon; it was the lead airplane of a group of airplanes. The group consisted of eight airplanes that were traveling together; there were three groups of airplanes with three airplanes in two groups, and two airplanes in one group. The first group, containing three airplanes with this airplane in the lead, descended to an estimated 500 to 1,000 feet above ground level (agl), and proceeded up a canyon. The lead proceeded to descend into the canyon and the other airplanes followed about 500 feet behind. The pilot of the number three airplane in the group estimated that he was about 200 feet above the leader's altitude and number two airplane was between them. He noticed that number two was getting closer to the leader, and he was closing on number two. As the airplanes proceeded toward the end of the canyon, the pilot of the number three airplane became concerned about terrain clearance and decided to exit the formation. A few seconds later, the number three pilot initiated a hard pull up to the left and began to climb. He completed about 15 degrees of turn and saw the lead airplane collide with trees and terrain at his 2 o'clock position. The number two airplane was a little to the right of the lead when it collided with the terrain. Both airplanes came to rest within 75 feet of each other at the head of the canyon at an estimated elevation of 4,925 feet, about 400 feet below the crest of the saddle at the end of the canyon. The second airplane was N576Q, a Beech S35; see NTSB report LAX02FA212.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.