Piper PA-28-180 N7839W

Summary

On 6 April 2002 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N7839W, operated by Patrick D. Carey, was involved in an accident near Three Rivers, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 April 2002 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Three Rivers, California, United States

Coordinates

36.5219, -118.6675

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N7839W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Patrick D. Carey

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Visalia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02FA131

4 people died.

the pilot's attempt to continue visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain. Contributing factors were low ceiling and mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with trees and mountainous terrain during a personal flight over Sequoia National Park. The noninstrument rated pilot and three passengers departed for a flight around Sequoia National Park. When the flight failed to return, a search was initiated, with aerial search efforts hampered by prevailing cloud cover over the mountainous park. Four days later, a military helicopter located the accident site about 5,900 feet msl. The accident site was located in tall timber with occasional snow beds. Park service officials reported that on the day of the accident cloud cover existed in the park over the area of the accident site with bases estimated about 5,000 feet msl. Fragmented wreckage was scattered along a 090-degree magnetic heading about 150 feet. A fire had consumed the center section of the airplane. The wing panel leading edges revealed near perpendicular 12- and 18-inch semicircular radius impacts dimensionally similar to the surrounding trees. Tree bark material transfers were noted in the impressions. The wing panels and landing gears were severed from their corresponding structural attach points. One propeller blade had light damage and the other had major damage with trailing edge "S" bending and the loss of 4 inches of blade tip. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine disclosed no preimpact anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.