Piper PA-38-112 N2463K

Summary

On 10 December 2009 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2463K, operated by Aviation Pacific Inc, was involved in an accident near Ojai, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 December 2009 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ojai, California, United States

Coordinates

34.4367, -119.2700

Aircraft

Piper PA-38-112

Registration

N2463K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aviation Pacific Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camarillo → Camarillo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10FA078

2 people died.

Airspeed was not maintained, which resulted in a loss of control and the airplane entering into a stall/spin to the ground. Contributing to the accident was a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was for the flight instructor to evaluate the student for a pre-solo training flight. Radar data indicated that the airplane maneuvered in the vicinity of the accident site for 22 to 24 minutes. It then descended from 3,500 feet, at approximately 660 feet per minute, until 2,000 feet was reached and radar coverage was no longer possible. A witness, located at an adjacent school playground, reported that the airplane approached her position at a very low altitude. At the time she thought it was a sailplane, because she did not hear any engine noise. As the airplane approached within 0.5 miles of her position, she heard noises she thought sounded like the pilot was trying to start the engine. She then heard the engine running and the airplane turned toward rising terrain. The engine noise once again stopped and she lost sight of the airplane shortly before it crashed. Documentation of the wreckage indicated that the airplane collided with the terrain in a nearly vertical attitude. A postimpact examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The temperature and dew point weather conditions were plotted on a carburetor icing chart, which indicated serious icing at glide power conditions. The loss of engine power, as reported by the witness, was likely due to carburetor icing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.