Piper PA-28-235 accident near Mammoth Lakes, California, January 8, 2006
On January 8, 2006 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N9124W, was destroyed in an accident near Mammoth Lakes, California (Mammoth Yosemite airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed resulting in a stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2006 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mammoth Lakes, California · Mammoth Yosemite · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9124W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10740
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane rolled right and collided with terrain during the initial climb after takeoff. A surviving passenger said that the takeoff and initial climb rate seemed normal. The passenger reported that about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes into the flight, the airplane, unexpectedly and without warning, went hard right and pitched straight down into the ground. Ground witnesses said that the airplane was 150 to 200 feet above the ground, and did not appear to gain any additional altitude. One witness, on an access road just north of the airport, had a profile view of the airplane during the majority of the accident sequence. He reported an "excessive" angle of attack on the takeoff. He saw the nose pitch down, and thought the airplane was about 100 feet above the ground. The witness then saw the nose pitch up again, increasing the angle of attack. The pitch attitude was steep; the witness said he was able to see the tops of the wings. He stated that the airplane flew straight ahead under controlled conditions, but appeared to be "mushing" through the air. He lost sight of the airplane as he rounded a bend in the road. When he saw the airplane again it was in a left descending spiral. Investigators found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine.
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: 521 hours in all; 5 in the last 30 days; 413 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMH Mammoth Lakes CA at 10:25 pm
- Destination: SBP San Luis Obispo CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from BIH, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.