Piper PA-32R-301T accident near Napa, CA
On March 11, 1994, a Piper PA-32R-301T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Napa, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 11, 1994
- Place
- Napa, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.549°N, 122.150°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X00916
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 10, 1994, at 1857 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, N3562C, was destroyed during a collision with an electrical power cable and mountainous terrain near Napa, California. The private pilot and his two passengers received fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported at the accident site. No flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight which had originated at the Sacramento Executive Airport at 1829 hours on the evening of the accident. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Service Station (FSS) facility records revealed that the pilot had obtained an abbreviated preflight weather briefing from the Rancho Murieta FSS prior to the flight. After departure from Sacramento Executive Airport, the pilot contacted Sacramento departure control at 1834 hours and advised that he was climbing to 2,500 feet. The pilot was assigned a transponder code of 4242. At 1842:57, the pilot contacted Travis radar approach control (RAPCON) and advised that he was level at 2,500 feet. En route, the pilot was receiving VFR flight advisories without requesting minimum-safe-altitude warning (MSAW) monitoring from the Travis RAPCON. The pilot had requested and been given a recommended heading of 240 degrees to the Napa Airport. About 3 minutes later at 1855:51, the pilot was advised that the Napa Airport was at 12 o'clock and 8 miles. The pilot acknowledged the transmission. Shortly thereafter, radio and radar contact was lost at a point 6 miles northeast of Napa, and an emergency locator transmitter signal
Probable cause
the pilot's selection of an en route descent altitude profile inadequate to clear all terrain along his intended flight path, and, his inadvertent VFR flight into IMC conditions. Factors in the accident were the dark night lighting conditions and the obscured ridge line.
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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.
