Piper PA-44-180 accident near Indio Hills, California, October 28, 1996
On October 28, 1996 at about 2:37 am local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N2157P, was destroyed in an accident near Indio Hills, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's spatial disorientation which led to a loss of aircraft control, and exceeding the aircraft's structural design limits after the aircraft had entered a descending spiral. The pilot's lack of instrument flight currency and the dark night were factors in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1996 · about 2:37 am local time
- Place
- Indio Hills, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2157P · registry record · serial 44-7995234
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flight following with ATC when controllers noticed that the aircraft began an unannounced turn and subsequent rapid descent. Radar data showed the aircraft entering a decreasing radius turn with an increasing rate of descent until radar coverage was lost. Clouds near the accident site ranged from broken to overcast with possible icing conditions at the cruising altitude. The wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer separated during the descent. An examination of the fractures found no evidence of preexisting cracking or damage. Witnesses near the crash site reported the night was very dark. The pilot had been instrument rated for several years, but there was no evidence that he was maintaining currency. The coroner reported finding clinical evidence of diabetes mellitus, a disqualifying medical condition.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 580 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 316 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,198 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 28, 1996; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-EIA6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Candance A. Larned Ent. INC.
The flight
- Departed from: GYR Goodyear AZ
- Destination: LGB Long Beach CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:47 am from PSP, 18 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.
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.