Piper PA-32-300 accident near Kernville, CA
On October 3, 1993, a Piper PA-32-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kernville, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 3, 1993
- Place
- Kernville, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.730°N, 118.390°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X13578
NTSB summary
On October 3, 1993, about 1415 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N4018W, collided with mountainous terrain near Kernville, California. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot and the two passengers received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the Kern Valley Airport, California, as a return flight to Long Beach, California, with a planned stop at La Verne, California. All three individuals were reportedly sharing the expense of the airplane. The purpose of the flight was to participate in a Mount San Antonio College Flying Team orientation session and practice safety and flight evaluation conference (SAFECON) at the Kern Valley Airport beginning the afternoon of October 1, 1993. The pilot's stated intentions on the day of the accident were to fly to La Verne to drop off his passengers and then proceed to Long Beach where the airplane had been rented by the pilot. The pilot of one of the ten airplanes participating in the conference departed behind the accident airplane. He observed the airplane climbing normally and then turn left toward the east branch of Lake Isabella. Another flying team member stated that the pilot of the accident airplane had indicated that he planned to fly toward the Mojave Desert and then southwest over the Mojave Desert to La Verne. Prior to departure, a formal preflight briefing for the return flight from Kern Valley Airport was conducted at the airport campground parking area by eight college staff member
Probable cause
the pilot's inadvertent flight into a box canyon and his failure to attain a safe altitude. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area.
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Browse: California · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
