Piper PA 31-310 accident near San Diego, CA
On June 20, 1997, a Piper PA 31-310 (airplane) was involved in an accident near San Diego, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 20, 1997
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 31-310 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.550°N, 117.039°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08160
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 20, 1997, at 1231 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA 31-310 (Navajo), N266MM, was destroyed when it collided with terrain approximately 1 minute after takeoff from Brown Field, San Diego, California. The airplane was being operated as an other work use flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by San-Lo Aerial Surveys, Inc. The airline transport pilot, a second pilot, and the camera operator were fatally injured. The flight was destined for Montgomery Field, also in San Diego. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. Company documents found in the aircraft indicated one aerial survey job had been completed. Notations on the document were 1130, 1220, Brown Field, and 1230. End time for the camera run was listed as 1212. A witness stated he observed the aircraft's three-man crew in the U. S. Customs office as he passed by. He stopped at a nearby fence to rest and noticed the three men exit the customs office and board a Piper Navajo that was white with red/ burgundy trim. Several minutes later he heard an engine starting. He turned and observed that the Navajo's right engine was running and the left engine was turning over. He stated that immediately after the left engine was running on its own he observed two short flame bursts exit the exhaust. It seemed odd to him since he had never observed that during daylight before. He described the flame as a very light yellow, almost white. At this time, the engine made no unusual sounds. Transcripts of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) communications with the air
Probable cause
The loss of power in the left engine for undetermined reasons and the pilot's subsequent failure to maintain minimum single-engine control airspeed. A contributing factor was the pilot's decision to fly with known deficiencies in the equipment.
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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.
