Piper PA-28-180 accident near Three Rivers, CA
On April 6, 2002, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Three Rivers, CA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 6, 2002
- Place
- Three Rivers, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.522°N, 118.668°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020415X00515
Official records · LAX02FA131
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 6, 2002, about 1540 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7839W, collided with mountainous terrain during a flight over Sequoia National Park, near Three Rivers, California. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and three passengers all received fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The personal flight departed Visalia, California, about 1459, for a flight around Sequoia National Park. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure point, and no flight plan had been filed. When the airplane failed to return to Visalia at the expected time, family members notified authorities. Limited information was available at the start of the search. The Visalia airport is uncontrolled and there had been no contact made with any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility. An airport search was performed and a request for radar assistance was made by the Civil Air Patrol. An estimated departure time was obtained from witnesses located at the Visalia airport. Recorded radar data was examined for the approximate departure time of an aircraft from Visalia. A radar track was developed showing an aircraft taking off from Visalia at 1459:57. The target was tracked to the town of Ivanhoe where it circled and then proceeded south to the east side of Tulare, then towards the canyon entrance to the Sequoia National Park. The radar track ended at 1540:09. A ground and air search was conducted over the mountainous area with weather delays hampering the search. National Park se
Probable cause
the pilot's attempt to continue visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions in mountainous terrain. Contributing factors were low ceiling and mountainous terrain.
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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.
