Piper PA-28-181 accident near Mount Baldy, California, October 11, 1987
On October 11, 1987 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N47529, was destroyed in an accident near Mount Baldy, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1987 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Baldy, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N47529 · registry record · serial 287890087
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BFR TKOF, THE PLT FILED A VFR FLT PLAN & RCVD A WX BRIEFING WHICH INCLUDED AN AIRMET. THE AIRMET CONTAINED PRECAUTIONARYINFO ABT INSTRUMENT CONDS (IMC), ICING & MTN OBSCURATION IN CALIF. WHEN THE PLT OPENED HIS FLT PLAN WITH THE FSS, HE WASAGAIN BRIEFED ON THE AIRMET. DRG FLT, THE ACFT IMPACTED STEEP/RISING TRRN ON THE NE SLOPE OF MT HARDWOOD AT AN ELEV OF APRX 8750'. THE PLT HAD PLANNED FOR FLT ALONG PUBLISHED AIRWAYS & FILED TO CRUISE AT 8500' MSL. FOR FLT IN THE VCNTY OF THE ACDNT, HE HAD FILED TO FOLL0W V-394 FM DAGGET TO APLES INTXN (HDG 214 DEG), THEN TO TURN & F0LLOW V-442 TO PARADISE (HDG 192 DEG). HOWEVER, AFTER REACHING APLES INTXN, THE ACFT DID NOT CHANGE COURSE, BUT CONTD IN THE SAME DRCTN (AS IF CONTG ON V-394). ABT 21 MI BYD APLES INTXN, IT CRASHED. FOR INSTRUMENT FLT NR THE CRASH SITE, THE MIN EN ROUTE ALT ON V-394 WAS 11,500'. THE PLT HAD RECENTLY TAKEN FLT TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE ELT HAD ACTIVATED, BUT AERIAL SEARCH & RESCUE OPNS WERE NOT PSBL ON THE DAY OF THE ACDNT DUE TO IMC WX IN THE MTNS.
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: 169 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 76 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,305 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 22, 1987; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cal State Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 10:30 pm
- Destination: LBG Long Beach CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from VCV, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.