Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Groveland, CA
On December 6, 1994, a Piper PA-28R-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Groveland, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 6, 1994
- Place
- Groveland, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.849°N, 120.011°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02735
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 5, 1994, about 1853 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28R-180, N4510J, was destroyed after striking trees on a ridge line while descending near Groveland, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by a partnership and was on a personal cross-country flight. Intermittent instrument meteorological conditions had been reported at the destination and no flight plan had been filed. The certificated commercial pilot and his passenger, a certificated private pilot, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was cleared for departure from the San Jose International airport at 1715 on the day of the accident. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The accident time was estimated based upon a review of recorded radar data and records of the pilot's cellular telephone use. The straight line distance between the departure point and the destination airport was measured as 104 statute miles along a 050-degree magnetic course. The aircraft manufacturer estimated that the cruise speed of the aircraft was at 75 percent power and with a density altitude of 5,500 feet to be approximately 157 mph. Adding 10 minutes for departure climb, the estimated time en route under "no wind" conditions was approximately 50 minutes. The time between departure clearance and the estimated time of the crash was 1 hour 38 minutes. No record was found that the aircraft communicated with any aeronautical ground station. According to the Civil Air Patrol, no evidence was found that the aircraft landed at any airport along the projected ground track. Recorded radar data was obtain
Probable cause
the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate terrain clearance during a nighttime descent into the airport over an unlighted mountainous area. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction by attempting to make several cellular telephone calls during a critical phase of flight.
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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.
