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Atlas / NTSB / LAX88LA222

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event LAX88LA222

1988-06-12 PALM SPRINGS, California, United States Airport · PSP Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N43310

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

KEUTHAN AIRCRAFT CORP BUCCANEER II

Year of manufacture

1994

Engine

ROTAX 582SER (65 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20080111

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A530D7

Registrant of record

NELSON JOHNNY L

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

PILOT MISJUDGED THE ALTITUDE OF THE MOUNTAIN PEAK.

Factual narrative

THE FLIGHT DEPT ON A DARK NIGHT, BUT THE PILOT REPORTED THE PREVAILING VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 25 MILES. AFTER DEPARTING THE PILOT TURNED LEFT AND BEGAN AN ON-COURSE CLIMB TOWARD A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. WHEN THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE MOUNTAIN PEAK THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP, BUT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE MOUNTAIN PEAK. THE PILOT AND PAX REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_LAX88LA222.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.