Piper Aerostar 601P accident near Stonyford, California, January 31, 2002
On January 31, 2002 at about 2:54 am local time, a Piper Aerostar 601P, registered N3636M, was destroyed in an accident near Stonyford, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance during cruise flight, which resulted in the in-flight collision with mountainous terrain. Factors in the accident were the mountainous terrain and the dark night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2002 · about 2:54 am local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Stonyford, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aerostar 601P · all Aerostar 601Ps on the register
- Registration
- N3636M · registry record · serial 61P07848063397
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The twin engine airplane impacted mountainous terrain at the 6,700-foot level during moonless night flight operations. The instrument rated pilot radioed the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and requested flight following and a vector to the destination airport. The pilot indicated he was flying at 6,700 feet and was descending. The controller radar identified the airplane and issued the recommended heading. The pilot asked for additional distance and airspeed information, which was provided by the controller, and no further radio contact with the pilot was attained. The airplane impacted a mountain approximately 50 feet below its crest in the approximate direction of the radar ground track. A post accident examination of the airplane and engines revealed no anomalies that would have prevented its normal operations. Interviews with the air traffic controllers, who were providing the accident airplane's flight following information, indicated they did not think the airplane was in imminent danger of impacting terrain; therefore, they did not issue a low altitude alert. Controllers are required to immediately issue an alert to an airplane if they are aware the airplane is at an altitude, which in the controllers judgment, places it in unsafe proximity to terrain/obstructions. The controllers reported they have worked numerous airplanes in that area at similar altitudes as the accident airplane and did not think the accident airplane was any different. The controllers added that they did not have terrain information overlaid on their video map for the accident area. The responsibility to maintain terrain clearance during visual meteorological conditions rests with the pilot. The accident area sectional chart depicts a maximum elevation figure (MEF) for the accident site quadrant as 7,400 feet.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,830 hours in all
- Last flight review: July 18, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,275.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AS (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIC Chico CA at 2:40 am
- Destination: UKI Ukiah CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from UKI, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3636M on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper AEROSTAR 601 117 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AS 5,074 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AS 5,074 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Chico Regional · departed from
- Ukiah Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX02FA073.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.