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LAX90FA300

1990-08-24 · PLACERVILLE, California, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE AIRPORT AND HIS FAILURE TO SELECT AN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S DISREGARD FOR HIS NIGHT TIME MEDICAL LIMITATION AND LACK OF GEOGRAPHIC FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS WERE TO MEET ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AT A PREPLANNED AIRPORT, WHERE THEY TO BE PICKED UP BY A TOUR CONCESSIONEER AT 2100 HOURS FOR A CAMPOUT PRIOR TO A RIVER RAFTING TRIP. AT 2110 HOURS THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AFTER MAKING A LANDING ATTEMPT AT ANOTHER AIRPORT 13 MILES BEYOND THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. BOTH AIRPORTS WERE LOCATED ON THE SAME VOR RADIAL, 13 MILES APART. THE MISTAKEN AIRPORT WAS 1300 FEET HIGHER IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND HAD A MEDICAL RESTRICTION AGAINST NIGHT FLIGHT. THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WAS NOT QUALIFIED IN THE AIRCRAFT NOR WAS HE NIGHT CURRENT. THE OFFICIAL SUNSET WAS AT 1950 HOURS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90FA300.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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