NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX87FA069
Registry · N111FC
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-32-260
Year of manufacture
1968 · 18 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19680305
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0306A
Registrant of record
WOODY AIR LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PILOT AND 5 PASSENGERS DEPARTED FOR A PLANNED VACATION IN MEXICO IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVEDTO DEPART FROM RUNWAY 30, TURN FROM THE CROSSWIND TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AND THE AIRCRAFT 'LOST ALTITUDE RAPIDLY' AND IMPACTED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY. A PILOT WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PALO ALTO AIRPORT STATED THAT WHEN MAKING A RIGHT CROSSWIND FROM RUNWAY 30 'THE BAY WATERS AND THE HORIZON CAN BLEND AS ONE.' THE PILOT MUST 'REFERENCE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTSFOR A SHORT PERIOD. IT CAN CATCH A PILOT BY SURPRISE.' THE PILOT RECEIVED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING IN 1975. NO RECORD OF INSTRUMENT CURRENCY COULD BE FOUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1986_LAX87FA069.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.