Beechcraft B36TC N3172L

Summary

On 30 April 2007 at about 03:51 local time, a Beechcraft B36TC registered N3172L was involved in an accident near West Athens, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 April 2007 at 03:51

Classification

Accident

Location

West Athens, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft B36TC

Registration

N3172L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Glendale → Hawthorne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA143

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's descent below the published minimum descent altitude for the instrument approach procedure, which resulted in a collision with wires and terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of recent experience in the accident airplane and in instrument meteorological conditions, and the night lighting conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot contacted approach control and requested a visual flight rules (VFR) approach to the airport. During the approach, the pilot attempted to maintain VFR, however, was unable due to low ceilings and haze. The controller then cleared the pilot for a localizer approach to the runway. During the approach, the airplane descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) and the controller obtained a minimum safe altitude warning alert. The controller then asked the pilot if he had the airport in sight. The pilot replied that he did not have the airport in sight and he was underneath the clouds. The pilot was cleared to change frequency, and no further communications were received from the pilot. The last radar return for the target was in the area of the accident site at a mode C reported altitude of 300 feet mean sea level (msl), or about 140 feet above ground level. The airplane collided with two static cables located adjacent to a high-tension tower about 1.5 miles east of the airport. The height of the tower was 118 feet and the terrain elevation was 164 feet. The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies. On the morning of the accident, the pilot received his complex and high performance airplane endorsements. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated 237 total flight hours and 15 flight hours in the accident airplane. The accident flight was the pilot's first solo flight in the airplane. Review of the pilot's logbook disclosed that no instrument flights or approaches were recorded in preceding 6 months of logged flights.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.