Piper PA-31-350 accident near San Jose, CA

On December 23, 1995, a Piper PA-31-350 (airplane) was involved in an accident near San Jose, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

December 23, 1995

Place

San Jose, CA

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

37.239°N, 121.730°W

NTSB ID

20001207X05019

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 23, 1995, at 0019 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-31, N27954, impacted terrain 16 miles north-northeast of San Jose, California. The aircraft was destroyed and the two pilots were fatally injured. The flight, operated by Ameriflight, Inc., with call sign "Amflight 41", was an instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was filed and the flight completed two IFR and two VFR segments prior to the accident. The flight was operating under visual flight rules at the time of the accident. Weather conditions at the accident location are unknown; however, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Oakland. The flight departed from Oakland at 2320. The purpose of the flight was to conduct a 6-month instrument proficiency check for the second pilot. The other pilot was a check airman employed by the operator. In accordance with the operators Operations Manual, the check airman was the designated pilot-in-command (PIC). After an IFR departure from Oakland, the flight completed two ILS approaches back to the Oakland airport before requesting vectors for approach to Hayward. The first ILS was terminated in a VFR missed approach which was followed by radar vectors from Bay TRACON for the second (IFR) ILS approach at Oakland. The second ILS approach also terminated with a VFR missed approach from Oakland to the east. Oakland Tower personnel inhibited the Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) system for the flight when it initiated the VFR missed approach. The pilot then contacted Bay TRACON and requested a localizer DME r

Probable cause

The failure of the air traffic controller to comply with instructions contained in the Air Traffic Control Handbook, FAA Order 7110.65, which resulted in the flight being vectored at an altitude below the minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) and failure to issue a safety advisory. In addition, the controller's supervisor monitoring the controller's actions failed to detect and correct the vector below

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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.