What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot told ATC that he over a hole in the clouds and planned to descend through it en route to his destination. ATC advised the pilot that the area was overcast and issued the current destination weather. ATC advised that radar contact had been lost and the pilot acknowledged. ATC twice requested that the pilot ident but received no beacon returns. After ATC advised the pilot that radar contact was lost and issued the tower frequency, no further communications were received. The weather was scattered clouds at 8,000 and 15,000 feet with 40 miles visibility north of a mountain ridge. South of the ridge were scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and a broken ceiling at 3,300 feet with 7 miles visibility. Estimated cloud tops were abou t 8,000 feet. The highest terrain between the pilot and his destination was about 4,000 feet. The aircraft crashed on an ascending northern slope at the 3,700-foot elevation. The pilot had received a weather forecast that included obscuration in the vicinity of mountains, turbulence, and precipitation throughout the evening with VFR flight not recommended. (.19) on June 7, 1997, about 1830 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 206, N756PU, en route to burbank, California, collided with terrain and burned near Saugus, California. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by a private owner when the accident occurred. The flight originated in mammoth lakes, California, earlier that afternoon. Instrument flight conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site and no flight plan was filed. Southern California TRACON reported providing VFR advisories to the pilot who had contacted them as a "VFR pop up." The pilot told controllers that he saw a hole in the overcast and that he was going to descend through it en route to burbank. Controllers told investigators that they lost radar contact with the aircraft about 10 miles north of whiteman airport at 3,700 feet MSL. The burned wreckage was found at 1047 the next morning by los angeles county fire fighters about 11 miles northwest of burbank airport. The site was located at the 3,700 foot level of a mountainside in the angeles national forest.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT TOLD ATC THAT HE OVER A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS AND PLANNED TO DESCEND THROUGH IT EN ROUTE TO HIS DESTINATION. ATC ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE AREA WAS OVERCAST AND ISSUED THE CURRENT DESTINATION WEATHER. ATC ADVISED THAT RADAR CONTACT HAD BEEN LOST AND THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. ATC TWICE REQUESTED THAT THE PILOT IDENT BUT RECEIVED NO BEACON RETURNS. AFTER ATC ADVISED THE PILOT THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AND ISSUED THE TOWER FREQUENCY, NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. THE WEATHER WAS SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 8,000 AND 15,000 FEET WITH 40 MILES VISIBILITY NORTH OF A MOUNTAIN RIDGE. SOUTH OF THE RIDGE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2,500 FEET AND A BROKEN CEILING AT 3,300 FEET WITH 7 MILES VISIBILITY. ESTIMATED CLOUD TOPS WERE ABOU T 8,000 FEET. THE HIGHEST TERRAIN BETWEEN THE PILOT AND HIS DESTINATION WAS ABOUT 4,000 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON AN ASCENDING NORTHERN SLOPE AT THE 3,700-FOOT ELEVATION. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER FORECAST THAT INCLUDED OBSCURATION IN THE VICINITY OF MOUNTAINS, TURBULENCE, AND PRECIPITATION THROUGHOUT THE EVENING WITH VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED. (.19) ON JUNE 7, 1997, ABOUT 1830 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 206, N756PU, EN ROUTE TO BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AND BURNED NEAR SAUGUS, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY A PRIVATE OWNER WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIFORNIA, EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON. INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON REPORTED PROVIDING VFR ADVISORIES TO THE PILOT WHO HAD CONTACTED THEM AS A "VFR POP UP." THE PILOT TOLD CONTROLLERS THAT HE SAW A HOLE IN THE OVERCAST AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO DESCEND THROUGH IT EN ROUTE TO BURBANK. CONTROLLERS TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT THEY LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF WHITEMAN AIRPORT AT 3,700 FEET MSL. THE BURNED WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT 1047 THE NEXT MORNING BY LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE FIGHTERS ABOUT 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF BURBANK AIRPORT. THE SITE WAS LOCATED AT THE 3,700 FOOT LEVEL OF A MOUNTAINSIDE IN THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N756PU · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.