Piper PA-28-181 accident near Santa Clarita, California, December 19, 1998
On December 19, 1998 at about 9:48 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N6272J, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Clarita, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors were the night weather conditions and the lack of total and recent instrument flight time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 1998 · about 9:48 am local time
- Place
- Santa Clarita, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N6272J · no longer on the register · serial 28-7690389
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private renter pilot had flown a night cross-country flight from southern California to Arizona. Upon returning at 0148 to his home base, a low stratus cloud cover existed. He had been receiving VFR flight following and subsequently requested an ILS approach for his destination airport. The pilot was unable to follow the controller's altitude and heading instructions. He was advised left of course and below his assigned altitude four times with a loss of radar contact twice. The VOR/LOC indicator had been out for repairs three times after complaints from renter pilots that the localizer needle was sticking or had poor needle deflection. The pilot's logbook noted VOR and localizer problems twice, 6 months prior to the accident. According to the pilot's logbook, he had flown about 31 hours in the past 6 months with .9 simulated and no actual instrument time. The pilot's last third-class flight physical of record occurred 27 months prior to the accident.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 555 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHU Lake Havasu AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 am from VNY, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.