Beechcraft A36TC N1856P

Summary

On 6 June 2003 at about 22:55 local time, a Beechcraft A36TC registered N1856P was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, California, United States. 12 people were on board and 4 died. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2003 at 22:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Coordinates

34.0692, -118.3511

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36TC

Registration

N1856P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Monica → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03FA182

4 people died, including 1 on the ground.

the pilot's in-flight loss of control due to spatial disorientation, and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall/spin. Also causal was the pilot's disregard of the weather information provided and his attempt to continue VFR flight into IMC. A factor in the accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete the flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the en route climb-out, the airplane entered the base of an overcast cloud layer, and then descended out of the clouds in a spinning, steep nose down attitude that continued to impact with a 3-story apartment building. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. Earlier that day, the pilot received three weather briefings from the FSS. Each briefer indicated that AIRMETS were in effect for IFR conditions and mountain obscuration, and advised the pilot to call back after 1300 for updated weather. During the second briefing, the briefer stated that VFR flight was not recommended. On the last briefing, the briefer indicated that the weather conditions were marginal towards the east with at least 3 miles visibility. The pilot inquired if he could legally fly, to which the briefer replied that yes, he was legal to fly, but that the weather conditions were marginal. After takeoff, the pilot asked the controller if he knew if the weather was clearing towards the east. The controller stated that it was not clear towards the east. The pilot then said that he was going to fly towards the east, and find a break or hole in the clouds to "pop up through." Controllers received no further transmissions from the pilot on any frequency. Cloud bases in the area for a 12-hour period ranged from 2,200 feet to 3,100 feet overcast, with tops ranging from 3,800 feet to 4,000 feet agl. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating. The pilot and passengers had been at the airport for at least 8 hours waiting for weather conditions to clear. One passenger was going to be dropped off at Las Vegas, and the pilot and remaining two remaining passengers were going to continue to Sun Valley, Idaho. Post accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.