Piper PA-32-300 accident near Corona, CA

On March 20, 2009, a Piper PA-32-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Corona, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

March 20, 2009

Place

Corona, CA

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

33.904°N, 117.614°W

NTSB ID

20090320X44802

Official records · WPR09FA158

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• AFSS Pilot Briefing Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 20, 2009, about 0840 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Piper Cherokee Six, PA-32-300, N55962, impacted terrain during departure from Corona Municipal Airport (AJO), Corona, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged by impact forces. The cross-country personal flight departed Corona, California, at 0838, with a planned destination of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. A search for the airplane was begun by local fire, police, and search and rescue personnel. The wreckage was located 10 hours later in thick vegetation in the Prado Flood Control Basin. The accident site was located .5 nautical miles (nm) northwest of the departure end of runway 25. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) reviewed recorded radar data and noted a discrete 4740 beacon code at a mode C reported altitude of 600 feet mean sea level (msl). Recorded radar data indicated that after the target took off, it climbed on a westerly course until reaching a mode C reported altitude of 900 feet msl. The target made a climbing right turn to a recorded altitude of 1,000 feet msl, followed by a descending right turn to a recorded altitude of 700 feet msl. The target then made a climbing right turn to an altitude of 1,300 feet msl, then changing to a left descending turn to an alti

Probable cause

The pilot did not maintain airplane control during climb due to spatial disorientation while flying in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent instrument flying experience.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.