On January 20, 1993, a Cessna 172P (registration N53908) operated by Hiser Helicopters, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Sun City, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S DECISION TO INITIATE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, THE ADVERSE WEATHER, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot on a ferry flight for a group of six airplanes departed around 0920 without a weather briefing. Witnesses reported dense fog with visibility about 50 ft, and heard the airplane circling a mountain too low before impact.
Accident Details
A pilot was part of a group ferrying six airplanes. No mission commander was designated, and each pilot was to 'do their own thing.' Another pilot reported that the Cessna 172 pilots launched without a weather briefing. The accident pilot departed at approximately 0920.
About ten minutes later, a witness located about 300 yards from the accident site heard the airplane circling a mountain '...way too low' before impact. The witness stated that he could not see because it was too foggy. Other witnesses reported visibility to be about 50 feet in dense fog.
Pilot Accounts
Other pilots in the group stated they encountered low clouds and fog, which persisted until about 3 miles north of the destination airport. Two of the pilots said they tried to descend below the clouds to reach the destination airport but turned back.
Investigation
No probable cause has been stated in the investigation source. The circumstances highlight the decision to launch without a weather briefing and the challenging conditions encountered.