BAKERSFIELD, CA, USA
N38916
PIPER PA-28-161
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT DEPARTED IMPERIAL, CA ON 4/18/84 AT ABOUT 1845 PST. TWO PEOPLE REPORTED THAT AT 2100 TO 2200 PST, THEY SAW AN ACFT CIRCLING IN THE AREA OF CUMMINGS MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 10 MI SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, BUT BECAUSE THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED WITH CLOUDS & RAIN, THE ACFT DISAPPEARED. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION, A SEARCH WAS BEGUN WHICH LASTED 9 DAYS, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT FOUND AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED ON 8/28/84 WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF 3300 FT MSL. ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AREA FORCAST FOR THE VICINITY OF THE CRASH SITE WAS FOR BROKEN TO OVERCAST CLOUDS AT 2000 TO 3000 FT MSL WITH TOPS AT 16,000 FT. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP RIGHT BANK, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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