On January 22, 1989, a Grumman AA5A (registration N26313) was involved in an aviation accident near Lake View, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout and avoid terrain while flying in marginal weather conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot flying under visual flight rules near Burbank entered a box canyon obscured by clouds and collided with terrain while executing a turn.
What happened
The incident occurred while the pilot was conducting a VFR flight to Whiteman Airport. After passing west of the airport, the pilot elected to fly around the north side of the Burbank Airspace Reservation Area (ARSA). The area north of the airport features high mountainous terrain that was obscured by clouds. The pilot inadvertently entered into a box canyon and collided with the terrain when he was executing a 180 degree turn.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the pilot's inadvertent entry into a box canyon with terrain obscured by clouds during a maneuver.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout and avoid terrain while flying in marginal weather conditions.