NTSB Factual Report

On July 5, 1998, approximately 1000 hours Pacific daylight time, a Morane Saulnier MS 880B, N55BF, impacted rocky terrain approximately 30 minutes after takeoff from the Trinity Center, California, airport. The aircraft was destroyed. The pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The personal flight originated from Trinity Center approximately 0930 and was en route to the Montague-Yreka Rohrer Field in Montague, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

According to a witness who spoke with the pilot on the morning of the accident flight, the pilot asked for his opinion on the use of automotive fuel in his airplane. There is no fuel available at Trinity Center. The pilot then borrowed a 5-gallon plastic container from the witness and purchased 92-octane fuel at a local gas station. The pilot told the witness that he already had about 12 gallons of fuel onboard, but preferred to maintain an auxiliary fuel reserve. (According to the engine manufacturer, the accident aircraft normally burns about 5 to 6 gallons of fuel per hour in standard cruise flight.) He stated that he was planning to fly to Montague to refuel, which is approximately 47 nautical miles north of the Trinity Center Airport. After the pilot took off, the witness heard him tell an unidentified individual on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) that he was low on fuel. The witness did not hear any further communication from the pilot.

There were no eyewitnesses to the accident sequence. One witness stated that he drove by the scene about 1030, saw the crashed aircraft, and reported the accident to the Trinity County Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department subsequently interviewed people at the airport who estimated that the accident aircraft departed the Trinity Center Airport approximately 0930.

According to Federal Aviation Administration airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. The last medical certificate of record was a third-class medical certificate dated March 20, 1986. The pilot's flight logbooks were not located.

According to both the aircraft and engine maintenance logbooks, an annual inspection had last been recorded on June 1, 1992. There were no further entries in the airframe logbook after this annual. The engine logbook contained only one notation after the annual, which was for a kit installation in February 1998.

The aircraft wreckage was located in a rocky stream bed about 17 miles north of the Trinity Center Airport, at latitude 41 degrees 15.29 minutes north and longitude 122 degrees 41.02 minutes west (GPS). The site is in mountainous terrain at an estimated elevation of 5,000 feet msl. The wreckage debris was contained to an area within a few feet of the aircraft. There was no postimpact fire.

The stream bed was about 35 feet wide and was surrounded by trees. The trees were approximately 50 feet high and came right up to the edge of the creek. There were tree limbs broken off just above and approximately 10 feet to the southeast of the impact site. There were no signs of disturbance noted on any of the other trees around the creek. A line from the disturbed tree to the ground impact point of the aircraft roughly paralleled the road which proceeds to a mountain pass about 2 miles to the north.

The pilot's seat was pushed full forward against the instrument panel and his seat belt was still intact. The fuel tanks were ruptured. The propeller was found in a rock just above the wreckage and did not exhibit any twisting or bending damage. The cockpit was destroyed and both wingtips displayed symmetrical damage. The section of the airplane aft of the pilot's seat displayed no signs of crush or collapse, and remained intact including the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The mechanically operated flaps were found fully extended at 30 degrees.

The airframe and engine were examined by the Safety Board following recovery of the aircraft from the accident site. No mechanical discrepancies were found during an examination of the airframe systems. The engine could not be rotated due to extensive impact damage. No abnormal operating signatures were found during disassembly of the engine. Both metal floats of the carburetor were imploded. No other discrepancies were noted in the remaining portions of the carburetor.

The closest official aviation weather observation station is at the Redding, California, airport, which is 36 miles southeast of the accident site at an elevation of 502 feet msl. At the time of the accident, the station was reporting an outside air temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Utilizing the standard atmospheric lapse rate, the density altitude at the approximate 5,000-foot msl accident site was calculated at 7,100 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin while maneuvering in a mountainous area at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.