NTSB LAX93LA109 — 1993-01-31 · COLUMBIA, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N16SC

Make / Model: PIPER PA-31
Year of manufacture: 1970 · 23 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines: 8 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19700206
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0F0E8

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N16SC Piper PA-31 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDEPATH WHILE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS WHICH MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE PILOT'S PERCEPTUAL AWARENESS OF THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT AND THE CUES FOR A PROPER VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE GUIDANCE.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT SAID THAT HE TURNED ON A ONE TO ONE AND ONE HALF MILE BASE FOR RUNWAY 35 AND KEYED HIS MICROPHONE TO ACTIVATE THE PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM. THE PILOT SAID THAT ON FINAL APPROACH HE NOTICED THAT THE VASI LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE ON FINAL APPROACH UNTIL ABOUT 200 FEET AGL WHEN HE SAID HE BECAME AWARE OF A LOSS IN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BEGAN APPLYING POWER TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND THEN OBSERVED A TREE TOP PASS THE COPILOTS WINDOW. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING HAD COLLIDED WITH THE TREE. AN FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE TREE CONTACTED BY THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 30 FEET TALL AND LOCATED ABOUT 600 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1993_LAX93LA109.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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