Aero Commander 560 accident near Essex, CA
On October 5, 1994, an Aero Commander 560 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Essex, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 5, 1994
- Place
- Essex, CA
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 560 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.961°N, 115.311°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02457
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 5, 1994, about 1209 hours Pacific daylight time, an Aero Commander 560, N251VW, was destroyed near Essex, California, following an in-flight breakup. The airplane was owned and operated by Caudle Hay Sales, Inc., of Peoria, Arizona, and was on a personal cross-country flight. No flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions were reported for the route of flight; however, thunderstorm and rain showers were forecast and observed in the area of the accident. The pilot received fatal injuries. The flight originated at Thermal, California, about 1115 hours on the day of the accident and was destined for Las Vegas, Nevada. When the airplane failed to arrive at the destination airport, a family member notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Civil Air Patrol initiated a search mission. Subsequently, with the help of recorded radar data and the National Track Analysis Program (NTAP), the airplane was located on October 11, 1994. According to the Mode C altitude reports in the recorded radar data, the airplane was at 16,100 feet mean sea level at 1206:35 hours when it started a series of maneuvers. At 1207:59, the airplane was at 12,700 feet msl. The last radar contact was at 1208:36. The last three radar hits were without altitude information. The crash site elevation was about 2,100 feet msl, in the East Mojave National Scenic Area. PERSONNEL INFORMATION At the pilot's last third-class flight physical conducted on May 5, 1994, he reported a total flight time of 3,000 hours with an additional 50 hours flown in the last 6 months.
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent flight into IMC conditions. Contributing to the accident was a loss of control of the aircraft and exceeding the structural limits of the aircraft. The weather conditions were factors.
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Browse: California · Aero Commander 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.
