Piper PA-24-250 accident near El Dorado, California, December 3, 2001
On December 3, 2001 at about 2:15 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6946P, was destroyed in an accident near El Dorado, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2001 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- El Dorado, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6946P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2081
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the ground in a steep nose down attitude at high speed. There were no known witnesses to the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight and no records were found of an FAA preflight weather briefing or en route communications with any FAA facility. The accident site is about 8 miles east of the flight's intended destination airport. Examination of available weather data disclosed that an unusually strong late fall weather system was affecting the general accident site area. Overcast clouds were banked over the Sierra Nevada foothills and consisted of a southwest-northeast oriented cloud band with scattered light rain showers present in the accident area. Cloud bases were probably 1,000 to 2,000 feet above ground level, and cloud tops were probably around 16,000 feet msl. Winds and temperatures at the accident airplane's estimated flight envelope of 3,000 to 4,500 feet msl were southwesterly at 30 knots and 34 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. The freezing level in the accident area was about 5,000 feet msl with the possibility of moderate to severe mixed icing conditions above that altitude. The presence of a light rain shower near the accident site and an upslope flow condition indicated that super cooled large water droplets were likely present in the area. Occasional moderate turbulence was likely in the area with severe turbulence possible near convective activity. A deputy sheriff patrolling near the accident site reported that at the time of the accident there was heavy rain and wind. Local accident area residents reported that they were experiencing strong winds and heavy rain with lightning and thunder at the time of the accident. Examination of the wreckage disclosed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 703 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 2, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,875 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VGT N. Las Vegas NV
- Destination: O61 El Dorado CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from MHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.