Piper PA-28RT accident near Cherry Valley, CA
On April 3, 2011, a Piper PA-28RT (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cherry Valley, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 3, 2011
- Place
- Cherry Valley, CA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 33.982°N, 117.011°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110403X33148
Official records · WPR11FA182
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- March Tower Radar Summary: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 3, 2011, about 0715 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201, N355LC, collided with terrain near Cherry Valley, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the entire airframe from impact forces and a post crash fire. The cross-country personal flight departed Banning, California, at an undetermined time, with a planned destination of Redlands, California. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the nearest official weather reporting station, and no flight plan had been filed. Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the airplane at low level, but could not see it because of low clouds. They reported that the visibility was 1 mile or less in fog or heavy mist, and that the clouds were touching the tops of the ridgelines in the hilly terrain. They stated that the engine sounded like it was operating normally, and the sounds stayed the same until they abruptly stopped. A witness less than 1 mile away heard a heavy impact and the engine sounds stop, but did not see the fireball as the mountains blocked her view. A witness about 4 miles away did not hear the impact, but observed a fireball when the engine sounds stopped. The March Air Force Base (RIV) air traffic control tower provided the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator with a summary from the radar recordings during the accident time frame. There were no VFR targets (squawking 1200)
Probable cause
The pilot’s continued flight in an area of low ceiling and visibility, which resulted in a collision with mountainous/hilly 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.
