Cirrus SR22 N868PC

Summary

On 9 April 2008 at about 04:23 local time, a Cirrus SR22 registered N868PC, operated by Dean W Carson, was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, 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

9 April 2008 at 04:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear City, California, United States

Coordinates

34.2572, -117.0092

Aircraft

Cirrus SR22

Registration

N868PC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dean W Carson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Riverside → Big Bear City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

SEA08FA108

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain. Contributing to the accident were the mountainous terrain, the dark night condition, the turbulent wind condition, and the low clouds.

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 terrain during a dark night time flight after encountering instrument meteorological weather conditions. The airplane's wreckage was located in mountainous terrain at 8,344 feet mean sea level (msl), 9 miles west of the destination airport. Recorded flight parameter data from the airplane's electronic primary flight display revealed a steady recorded altitude of 8,400 feet for about the last 3 minutes of the flight. Two airmen's meteorological information reports (AIRMETs), both issued about 90 minutes prior to the accident, advised of mountains occasionally obscured by clouds and precipitation, and the presence of turbulence and low-level windshear. Weather observations for the destination airport at 2050 and 2110, which was just prior to the airplane's departure, reported cloud ceilings at 8,400 feet and 7,600 feet msl, respectively. Scattered clouds were reported on the 2130 observation at 7,600 feet and 8,100 feet msl. Based on an analysis of satellite weather data and destination airport weather observations conducted by a Safety Board meteorologist, it is likely that the pilot encountered clouds and turbulence at his flight altitude shortly after 2121 and descended in order to maintain visual flight rules flight. According to the US Naval Observatory, the moon was below the horizon at the time of the accident. Post accident examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no preimpact anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.