Piper PA-31-350 accident near Novato, CA
On March 6, 1998, a Piper PA-31-350 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Novato, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 6, 1998
- Place
- Novato, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.099°N, 122.629°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09697
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 5, 1998, about 1905 hours Pacific standard time, Airpac Flight 263, a Piper PA-31-350, N275NW, collided with trees and terrain near Novato, California. The aircraft was destroyed and the airline transport rated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The aircraft was being operated by Airpac Airlines, Inc., as a positioning flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The aircraft departed Santa Rosa, California, at 1848. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was part of a flight of two company aircraft that departed the Sonoma County airport en route to the Oakland Metropolitan International airport. Airpac Flight 1961 was in the lead and Airpac Flight 263 was in trail, about 1 minute behind. The pilot of Flight 1961 stated that they were both navigating by a combination of dead reckoning and pilotage. They both had VOR navigation aids on their routes of flight that could be used to verify their positions and monitor progress. During the flight, the pilot of Flight 1961 radioed the pilot of Flight 263 and asked about her progress. She reported that she was "still back here." Later, while he was about 20 miles north of the Oakland airport, he began to encounter instrument meteorological conditions. He called to advise the accident pilot, but this time he was not successful in establishing radio contact. Flight 1961 landed at the Oakland airport at 1920. When Flight 263 did not arrive, the flight was reported overdue and a missing aircraft report
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance after initiating a descent over mountainous terrain at night and under marginal VFR conditions. The pilot's self-induced pressure to arrive at class with enough time remaining to take the final examination was a factor in the accident.
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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.
