Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Pine Mtn Club, California, February 28, 2004
On February 28, 2004 at about 4:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N7687J, was destroyed in an accident near Pine Mtn Club, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued visual flight into adverse weather conditions at night, which resulted in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain. The pilot's failure to obtain preflight weather information for the route of flight was also causal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2004 · about 4:45 am local time
- Place
- Pine Mtn Club, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7687J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-31106
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with mountainous terrain during a night cross-country flight while trying to avoid inclement weather. The pilot had recently received his private pilot's certificate and did not possess an instrument rating. AIRMET's were issued for turbulence, icing, and mountain obscuration in the vicinity of the pilot's route of flight for the period between 1845 and 0100 Pacific time. There is no record that the pilot requested or received a weather briefing. Radar data and ATC communications tapes shows the airplane left the departure airport at 1939, and eventually took a northerly heading toward the mountains that separate the coastal plain from an inland valley. It paralleled an interstate highway, and leveled off at 9,500 feet. Over the last mountain pass before entering the inland valley (elevation: 4,239 feet), the airplane diverted to the west, and climbed to 10,000 feet. The pilot checked in with ATC at 10,000 feet and requested visual flight rules (VFR) flight following and an altitude of 10,500 feet. The elevation of the mountainous terrain to the west of the pass ranges from 5,000 feet in the valley to mountain peaks and ridges between 7,000 feet and 8,840 feet to the north and south. The pilot confirmed with ATC that he was diverting to the west for cloud avoidance. The pilot then requested a descent to 8,500 feet. ATC approved the descent at the pilot discretion and advised him to maintain VFR. As the airplane proceeded west, radar recorded the altitude decreasing through 9,000 feet at a rate of descent of 1,100 feet per minute. The pilot continued his descent and requested 4,500 feet. ATC advised the pilot that he was in the vicinity of high terrain. The pilot said he could see the ground but he didn't have good (forward) visibility and requested a vector (to clearer weather). ATC advised him to adjust his heading northbound towards lower terrain, that he was below the minimum vectoring altitude, and to maintain VFR. The pilot responded by saying he could see pretty well and would take a northbound heading. The last radar beacon target reported an altitude of 7,100 feet. No further communications with the pilot were established. The airplane impacted a mountain slope at an elevation of 6,683 feet and on a heading of about 350 degrees magnetic. There were no preimpact airplane mechanical anomalies identified during the investigation.
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
- Flight time: 96 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,759 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KLBG Long Beach CA at 2:39 am
- Destination: SAC Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 am from KSBD, 23 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.
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.