Piper PA-28-181 accident near Yucaipa, California, March 1, 2005
On March 1, 2005 at about 3:05 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N2954P, was destroyed in an accident near Yucaipa, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the private pilot and the flight instructor to maintain adequate terrain clearance while flying in unfamiliar mountainous terrain in dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2005 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- Yucaipa, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N2954P · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990587
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted mountainous terrain in a box canyon during a local area instructional night flight approximately 1 hour after nautical twilight ended. The operator reported that the purpose of the flight was for the private pilot, who obtained his certificate 1 month ago, to obtain night Visual Flight Rules (VFR) experience with an instructor on board. The flight was scheduled to fly in the local area and to make night landings at several local airports. Friends of the pilot reported they heard the airplane fly over the private pilot's residence about 1900. The witness said he could see the strobe lights of the airplane, but could not see the airplane registration number due to the low clouds that were in the area. The wreckage site was on a slope in a box canyon, about 100 feet below the ridgeline top, at an elevation of 4,168 feet mean sea level. The private pilot had a total logged flight time of 95 hours, with 3.5 hours of dual instruction received during night conditions. The certified flight instructor had a total logged flight time of 435 hours, with 22 flight hours logged during night conditions. He logged 23 hours in the local area, 2.8 of which were under night conditions. No mechanical abnormalities were found with the airplane or engine 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: 95 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 435 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 385 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,858.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2004; 61.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L12 Redlands CA at 2:46 am
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from RIV, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.