Piper PA-28-140 accident near Poway, CA
On August 27, 2000, a Piper PA-28-140 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Poway, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 27, 2000
- Place
- Poway, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.970°N, 117.019°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21755
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 27, 2000, at 0914 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N428FL, was destroyed when the airplane impacted terrain on Iron Mountain near Poway, California. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft departed from Gillespie Field, El Cajon, California, about 0905. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Gillespie Field; however, witnesses near the accident location said low clouds and fog prevailed there. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91. The destination is unknown; however, the prior evening the pilot received an outlook briefing for a flight to Olympia, Washington. A witness, who held a private pilot certificate, was hiking with friends atop Iron Mountain and heard the aircraft approach and impact the mountain about 200 to 300 yards from his position. The witness reported that there was a solid stratus cloud layer in the valley below with the cloud tops about 100 feet below the peak of Iron Mountain [2,696 feet mean sea level (msl)]. As he listened, the airplane approached from the south and passed nearby to the west of his position. The aircraft was nearby but was not visible; it was either in the clouds or below them. The engine "was running healthy and normally at or near full power". Next he heard a "loud, muffled thud," there was an explosion, and then an orange fireball was visible from near the top of the clouds. The aircraft had impacted on the south face of a ridgeline extending west from the peak of Iron Moun
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional flight into known adverse weather.
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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.
