Santa Rosa

The airplane departed Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Airport on a ferry flight to Honolulu, carrying two pilots. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the Pacific Ocean some 54 km west of Half Moon Bay. No trace of the aircraft or the crew was found.

The pilot had filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan for 25,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), and he amended it to 27,000 feet MSL en route. About 36 minutes after the altitude change to 27,000 feet, the pilot advised air traffic control (ATC) that he had lost cabin pressurization and needed an immediate descent. About 20 seconds later he was cleared to 25,000 feet, then 15 seconds later to 15,000 feet. Shortly after the pilot acknowledged the lower altitudes, the radio communications deteriorated to microphone clicks with no carrier. The aircraft started a shallow descent with slight heading changes, then was observed to make a rapid descent into desert terrain. About 10 months prior to the accident the aircraft had been inspected in accordance with the Piper Cheyenne Progressive Inspection 100-hour Cycle, event No. 1. According to the servicing agency, the aircraft inspection was completed and the aircraft was returned to service with a 12,500 feet MSL altitude restriction due to unresolved oxygen system issues. The last oxygen bottle hydrostatic check noted on the bottle was October 1989. The oxygen system was in need of required maintenance and the masks were in a rotted condition. The pilot failed to report his severe coronary artery disease condition, medications, and other conditions to his FAA medical examiner for the required flight physical.

The airplane was on a VFR dusk cross-country flight when it collided with the 1,500-foot level of a hill. Radar data showed the aircraft in a descent from 2,000 feet until radar contact was lost about 1,500 feet msl, with a final ground speed of 194 knots. The route taken by the pilot was about 5 miles west of the route that the company pilots routinely flew, but while crossing higher terrain, it was a more direct route to the destination. A company pilot flying a few minutes ahead of the accident flight reported it was necessary to descend to between 1,200 and 1,500 feet msl in order to maintain VFR. A low-pressure system approaching the area from the west had resulted in low stratus, rain, and fog. At the time of the accident, a nearby weather reporting facility reported a 1,300-foot broken ceiling with 5- to 6-mile visibility in light rain and mist. On the evening of the accident, the pilot was scheduled to give a speech as her final examination in an evening college course. She had informed the instructor that she might be late, but had been told that he could not hold the class past its scheduled dismissal time to accommodate her late arrival.

The airplane was observed making several low passes, with its smoke generators operating, over seaplanes anchored in a lake. The last pass was reportedly at an altitude less than 50 feet, and then the airplane was observed entering an abnormally steep climb, followed by a near vertical nose-down attitude to impact. A video tape shows that both propellers were turning. The pilot had received his multi-engine rating in a Beech 76 on 3/6/90, and his type rating in the airplane 3/28/90.

The pilot and his wife planned a 30 minutes pleasure flight to Lake Tahoe. Prior to departure the pilot failed to visually inspect the amount of fuel in the right wing tank. The tank was full. The tank's cap probably appeared to be secured when, in fact, because of a unique design characteristic, it was merely resting on top of the filler neck. Upon takeoff rotation the cap came off the filler neck and it was followed by a fuel spray. The pilot responded and stayed in a very low altitude and close-in traffic pattern. He attempted to land immediately. He lost control during the turn to final, stalled and collided with the pavement prior to reaching the threshold. Both occupants were killed.

After dropping company executives off at Medford, the pilot was to return to Santa Rosa empty. Witnesses along the 25 nm valley which ends at the accident site reported that the aircraft buzzed their locations at agl altitudes variously described as '10 feet' and 'so low you could count the rivets.' US forest services personnel near the accident site reported that the aircraft flew over their position 'just above the trees' following the slope of the mountain upward. The accident site is on a popular hiking trail the pilot's girlfriend reportedly said she would like to visit. On site examination revealed that the aircraft first contacted the upper 5 feet of the treetops in a climb attitude. No preimpact failures of the acft were identified. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Immediately after takeoff from Albuquerque Airport, the twin engine airplane stalled and crashed near the runway end, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed.

The crew was completing an approach under VFR mode by night when the airplane struck the ground 3 km short of runway 19 threshold. On impact, it lost its undercarriage and slid for 200 meters before coming to rest. All 28 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.