FlightFinder
Check my flight
Casualties unknown

Pilot Does Not Obtain Weather Briefing Before Cross-Country Flight; Accident Site Obscured by Clouds (N8078V)

Dublin, CA, US

On May 9, 1989, a Piper PA-28-181 (registration N8078V) operated by Capitol Sky Park, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Dublin, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN AN AREA OF RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOTS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-07-04Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to a cross-country flight. The accident site was obscured by clouds at the time of the crash, located at the end of a narrow valley near a ridge line. The pilot requested a straight-out departure from Hayward but was denied due to noise abatement.

Weather Conditions

Weather information available to the pilot established that coastal stratus clouds with accompanying coastal hill mountain obscurement was forecast. According to official weather reports and witness observations, the accident site was obscured in clouds at the time of the crash. At the time of departure from Hayward, the airport weather conditions were ceiling 1,000 feet, visibility 10 miles. Six minutes after the flight departed, the airport went IFR with a 900-foot ceiling.

Departure

The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to this cross-country flight. At departure from Hayward, the pilot originally asked for a straight out departure, which the local controller denied due to a noise abatement procedure. The pilot then accepted a right cross wind departure.

Accident Site

The accident site is at the end of a long narrow valley near the top of a ridge line. The entrance to the narrow valley is in close proximity to a right cross wind departure path.

Related events

Same aircraft family

All Piper PA-28 Cherokee accidents →

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 9 May 1989 Piper PA-28-181 accident near Dublin, CA?

A pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to a cross-country flight. The accident site was obscured by clouds at the time of the crash, located at the end of a narrow valley near a ridge line. The pilot requested a straight-out departure from Hayward but was denied due to noise abatement.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 9 May 1989 involved a Piper PA-28-181, registration N8078V, operated by Capitol Sky Park, Inc., at Dublin, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN AN AREA OF RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOTS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING.

More accident analyses

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001213X28335. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.