Summary
On May 19, 2008, a Bellanca 7GCBC (N90930) was involved in an incident near Rockport, CA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's performance of VFR flight into IMC, resulting in failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident was the fog.
The pilot took off from a dirt airstrip with 1/2-mile visibility to the west due to ocean fog. The pilot flew into the fog, he then turned south. However, he continued into more fog, so he turned east. When he came out of the fog, he did not have enough altitude to clear trees on top of mountainous terrain ahead. He clipped some trees with the landing gear and impacted on a hilltop, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX08CA150. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N90930.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's performance of VFR flight into IMC, resulting in failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing to the accident was the fog.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot took off from a dirt airstrip with 1/2-mile visibility to the west due to ocean fog. The pilot flew into the fog, he then turned south. However, he continued into more fog, so he turned east. When he came out of the fog, he did not have enough altitude to clear trees on top of mountainous terrain ahead. He clipped some trees with the landing gear and impacted on a hilltop, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX08CA150