Amateur-built LONG EZ accident near Groveland, California, June 19, 1993
On June 19, 1993 at about 3:52 am local time, a amateur-built LONG EZ, registered N16LZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Groveland, California (Pine Mountain Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH DURING FINAL APPROACH. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS SUN GLARE IN THE PILOT'S LINE OF VISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1993 · about 3:52 am local time
- Place
- Groveland, California · Pine Mountain Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG EZ
- Registration
- N16LZ · registry record · serial 1516
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED NORMAL IN THE PATTERN, BUT WAS VERY LOW ON FINAL. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY 27. ALL OF THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY HEARD NORMAL ENGINE SOUNDS THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE SUN'S BEARING WAS 284 DEG MAGNETIC AND WAS POSITIONED 2.1 DEG ABOVE THE HORIZON.
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
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 1992; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,640 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from MER, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX93LA259.