Piper PA-23-150 accident near Oceanside, CA

On March 3, 1995, a Piper PA-23-150 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Oceanside, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

March 3, 1995

Place

Oceanside, CA

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-150 · Airplane

Injuries

4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

33.200°N, 117.349°W

NTSB ID

20001207X03132

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 3, 1995, about 0938 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-23-150, N1260P, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain in the coastal hills on the U.S. Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot, and was engaged in transporting two doctors into Mexico for volunteer medical help for the poor. Both pilots and the two passengers received fatal injuries. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the coastal route and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight had originated at Sacramento, California, on the morning of the accident about 0530 hours, with the passenger pickup at Santa Ana, California. The flight departed John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California, about 0921 hours with an intermediate destination of Brown Field (SDM), San Diego, California. Observations made by Marine Corps personnel at Camp Pendleton indicated that the coastal hills, to include the accident site, were shrouded in clouds. The airplane had been cleared for takeoff at 0920 on runway 19L from intersection KILO. The departure clearance was to turn left to 150 degrees, maintain visual flight rules (VFR) at or below 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl). Once airborne the airplane was issued traffic, a CH46 helicopter, then switched to SOCAL Approach on frequency 132.7. At 0923 SOCAL Approach verifies radar contact and asks the destination and cruising altitude. The pilot replies VFR to SDM, climbing to 3,500 feet to stay below the cloud deck. At 0926 the pilot contact

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL VFR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER. THE LOW CEILING WAS A FACTOR.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.