Piper PA 28-181 accident near Sonora, California, July 28, 1991
On July 28, 1991 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Piper PA 28-181, registered N82716, was destroyed in an accident near Sonora, 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
FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR/PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE FLIGHT AND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED BY EXCEEDING THE CLIMB PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRPLANE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADEQUATE PLANNING AND HIS SELECTION OF AN IMPROPER ALTITUDE FOR FLIGHT INTO RISING TERRAIN DURING HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1991 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sonora, 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
- N82716 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8290141
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND TWO CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOTS WERE PARTICIPATING IN A MOUNTAIN FLYING TRAINING SEMINAR AS PART OF A THREE AIRPLANE FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWING A HIGHWAY UP A CANYON TOWARDS A 9,600 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, BELOW SURROUNDING CANYON WALLS. THE TERRAIN RISES RAPIDLY AT THE END OF THE CANYON. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM HIGH TERRAIN, PULL UP INTO A NOSE HIGH ALTITUDE, AND DESCEND FROM VIEW. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE STRUCK A PINE TREE WITH THE RIGHT WINGTIP, STRIKE ANOTHER TREE, AND THEN COLLIDE WITH A LARGE ROCK OUTCROPPING AT ABOUT 9,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. AN INTENSE POST IMACCT FIRE CONSUMED ALMOST ALL OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING AND TAIL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 12,000 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,505 hours in all; 197 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 1,404 as pilot in command; 857 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1991; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: West Valley Flying Club INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PAO Palo Alto CA at 5:37 pm
- Destination: Q82 Markleeville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from TVL, 40 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.
Other NTSB records under N82716 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.