Aero Commander 500S accident near Eagleville, CA
On November 21, 2001, an Aero Commander 500S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Eagleville, CA. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 21, 2001
- Place
- Eagleville, CA
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.286°N, 120.195°W
- NTSB ID
- 20011206X02358
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 21, 2001, at 1126 Pacific standard time (PST), an Aero Commander 500S, N900RA, collided with terrain near Eagleville, California. Commander Northwest Limited was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot licensed pilot, a commercial rated pilot passenger, and three passengers sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The personal cross-country flight departed Reno, Nevada, at 1037, en route to Wenatchee, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the nearest reporting station, which was 24 miles away. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 41 degrees 17.69 minutes north latitude and 120 degrees 11.936 minutes west longitude. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot called the Reno Automated Flight Service Station at 0941. The records show that the pilot filed an IFR flight plan, then asked for the winds aloft forecast. The specialist provided the winds aloft information. The pilot did not request any additional weather briefing information for the flight. No other record was found that the pilot obtained additional weather forecast information from any official source associated with the FAA or the National Weather Service. At the time of the pilot's call to the Reno AFSS, several AIRMET weather advisories had been issued hours prior detailing warnings for turbulence along the route of flight. The advisories warned of occasional mod
Probable cause
the pilot's encounter with forecast mountain wave conditions, moderate or greater turbulence, and icing, with downdrafts that likely exceeded the climb capability of the airplane, which was encountered at an altitude that precluded recovery. Also causal in the accident was the failure of the pilot to obtain an adequate preflight weather briefing which would have included a series of Airmets that w
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Browse: California · Aero Commander 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.
