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LAX85FA230

1985-04-28 · GARBERVILLE, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 0Q5

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE ACFT DEPARTED SHELTER COVE, ELEVATION 69 FT, AND HEADED EAST TOWARD A 2000 FT HIGH MOUNTAIN LOCATED 1 3/4 MILES AWAY. THEY CONTINUED TO REPORT THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING AT A SLOW RATE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE ACFT CONTACTED TREES AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AND CONTINUED OVER THE CREST INTO A CANYON WHERE IT CAME TO REST INVERTED. WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER DEPARTING SHELTER COVE MOST PLTS FLY WEST OVER THE OCEAN TO GAIN ALT BEFORE TURNING EAST TOWARD THE MOUNTAINS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_LAX85FA230.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.