Piper PA-28-151 N4401X

Summary

On 2 August 2005 at about 04:53 local time, a Piper PA-28-151 registered N4401X, operated by Herber J. Meeks, was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2005 at 04:53

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Nearest airport

San Luis Obispo (SBP)

Coordinates

35.2528, -120.6250

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-151

Registration

N4401X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Herber J. Meeks

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Luis Obispo → Not Determined

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX05FA255

1 person died.

The pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain clearance from the rising hilly terrain. Contributing factors were the pilot's inexperience regarding flying during the dark, nighttime condition, and the low ceiling.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on the crosswind leg during initial climb, the pilot cruised into upsloping terrain about 0.9 miles from the runway. The pilot's day began when he departed his residence about 0700. Thereafter, he commuted to work, which involved flying a borrowed airplane to a neighboring city. Upon completing work, the pilot was dropped off at the airport. The pilot intended either to fly home or to the location where his next day's work was to be performed. He was due to report to work the following morning at 0730. It was a dark night, and an overcast ceiling existed at 800 feet above the ground. No moon or stars were visible from the airport. A hill was located about 1 mile northeast of the airport. The pilot departed using runway 11, made a left crosswind turn, and impacted the hill while climbing in controlled flight. Fire department personnel responding to the accident site said that the clouds were nearly at ground level and that the forward (horizontal) visibility was between 1/4- and 1/2-mile. The pilot had received his private pilot certificate the preceding month, at a total flight time of 69.6 hours, including 3.5 hours at night.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.